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Vol : 05 : #77 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
BJP to keep its option open about any
tie up with AMARINDER SINGH
New Delhi : While preparing for
next year’s assembly polls, the BJP is
keeping its options open about any
possible tie up or association with former
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder
Singh. The saffron party, however, is
closely monitoring political moves of
the former Chief Minister.
BJP national general secretary and
Punjab in-charge, Dushyant Gautam
told IANS that the BJP has its plan and
strategy for Punjab assembly polls and
is working accordingly with the developing
situation. "No doubt, Singh is a
big name and has had an impact on
state politics but first of all the former
chief minister must clarify his position
about the next political move. We have
our plans and the BJP is moving ahead
with it. We cannot say about Singh’s
plan and currently we can’t say what
will happen in future," Gautam said.
Gautan pointed out that the doors of
BJP is open for all nationalists. "We
are a nationalist party and for us nation
comes first. Anyone who believes in
this is welcome," he said.
Gautam mentioned that the party is
currently working on strengthening
the organisational presence across the
state. "We are focused on getting 51
per cent of vote share and meanwhile
several programs and campaigns are
already going on to expand the party
base in the state," Gautam said.
Former Chief Minister Singh has
made it clear that he was not joining
the BJP but has no intention to continue
in the Congress either. Many party
leaders admitted that Singh will give
4 more soldiers martyred
in anti-terror ops in
POONCH-RAJOURI
Jammu : Four more army soldiers including a junior commissioned
officer (JCO) were martyred during an anti-terror
operation in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and
Kashmir during the last 24 hours.
The operation entered 5th day on Saturday and so far, 9 soldiers
including two JCOs have been killed in this operation.
Lt Colonel Devender Anand, defence ministry spokesman
said, "Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh of Indian
Army were killed in action during search operations being conducted
by the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir
Police in densely forested area of Nar Khas forest in Mendhar
district of Poonch.
"Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh were part of
search operations launched by the security forces to flush out
terrorists hiding in the forested area."
"On 14 October 2021 after a fierce firefight with terrorists,
the communication with Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra
Singh was disrupted." "Relentless operations continued to neutralize
the terrorists and to re-establish communication with the
soldiers. Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh were
killed in action in the fierce fight and their bodies have been
recovered in the evening today," an army statement said.
The operations in the area are continuing.
London : No new Parliament building
is coming up or will be erected in
Britain to replace the Palace of
Westminster, despite it being 1005 years
old and both the House of Commons and
the House of Lords being inadequate to
seat all its respective members. Instead a
massive repair and restoration project is
underway for a construction which came
up in 1016.
In order to achieve the ambitious
objective, over 50 skilled engineers,
architectural surveyors, acoustics and
lighting experts and ecologists spent a
combined 4,700 hours over Parliament’s
recent summer recess investigating and
assembling a most detailed record of the
complex. Sarah Johnson, CEO of the
Houses of Parliament Restoration &
Renewal Sponsor Body, said: "The essential
programme to restore the deteriorating
Palace of Westminster will protect our
world-famous Parliament for generations
to come."
A Parliament House to substitute the
present one, notwithstanding its shortcomings,
has never been a preference for a
British government. Jacob Rees-Mogg,
leader of the House of Commons, emphasised:
"The Houses of Parliament building
is recognised the world over as a symbol of
our nation."
A total of 2,343 rooms, spaces and conference
areas were examined over the summer,
with experts recording thousands of
issues including cracks in stonework and
the BJP’s campaign a major boost and
any tie up will happen only once he
clarifies his stand. "Singh’s image
suits our nationalist politics and he can
be used to pacify farmers protesting
against the three farm laws for the last
one year," a party leader said.
Another leader pointed out that
Singh will help BJP gain the ground
lost after alliance with SAD was
snapped. "Singh’s stature and understanding
of politics will help if we join
hands with him," the BJP leader said.
As part of its ongoing strategy, the
BJP is already concentrating on about
three dozen urban seats of Punjab
spread across the state. A party insider
explained that voters in urban constituencies
have different aspirations.
"Urban voters of Punjab want peace
widespread water damage. The intricate
network of outdated electrical and mechanical
systems was analysed. Many of the
historic features, including original
Victorian stained-glass windows which are
warping and sagging due to age, have
issues. The specialists also studied the
enormous basement and the miles of outdated
and interweaving gas, electrics,
water, sewage, and heating pipes to get up
to date records on the problems that need
fixing.
Work was also done to understand the
provenance of quirky candle and gas light
fittings, some of which were discovered to
have been turned upside down when converted
to electric power over 100 years
ago. Further investigation is ongoing but it
is thought the Palace may contain the oldest
still-in-use gas lighting system in the
world. Several remarkable candle chandeliers
that survived the great fire of 1834
which destroyed the original Palace were
along with prosperity and they will
support the party which promises
both. Earlier they also supported BJP,
now we are working on winning back
their support in next state polls," party
insider said.
The BJP is facing toughest challenges
in Punjab in comparison to
other four states - Uttar Pradesh,
Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand --
where polls will be held together in
February-March next year.
The BJP is contesting assembly
polls on its own in Punjab for the first
time after its one of the oldest ally
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) walked
away from alliance last year over new
farm laws. In the last Punjab assembly
polls in 2017, the BJP had won only
three out of 23 seats it contested.
UK set to spend $16bn for repairing
Parliament House, but won't replace it
also studied and recorded.
Acoustics experts considered
how to improve audibility within
the building; walked 240 km,
measuring 80 rooms, running 300
individual acoustics tests, taking
2,000 measurements.
Experts in ecology and door
specialists from Manchester, window
surveyors from Glasgow and
architects and engineers from
across London, in addition to historic
surveyors and specialists
from Cambridge, Suffolk and Hampshire,
were involved in the meticulous examination.
The monumental project could consume
30 years and cost up to 12 billion
pounds ($16 billion). If fact the current,
highly technical scrutiny of the state of
play and what needs to be done to deliver a
comfortable, yet visually unchanged interior
and exterior will resume over the winter
and continue next year. The Palace of
Westminster has survived a bombing
threat. Around midnight on November 4,
1605, Guy Fawkes was found in one of its
cellars with barrels of gunpowder. The conspiracy
by persecuted Catholics against the
Protestant dispensation was to blow up the
building. Fawkes and his plotters were executed
for treason. Thus, every November 5,
the Britons mark the day by burning his
effigies. The message from the mother of
democracy is stoic. An iconic Parliament
House is a symbol of the UK’s heritage. It
is irreplaceable.
2
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Owaisi dismisses RSS chief's claim
of increase in Muslim population
Hyderabad. AIMIM President
Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday
said Muslim population growth
rate in the country has had the
sharpest decline among all, dismissing
RSS chief Mohan
Bhagwat's claim that it has
increased.
"As usual, RSS Mohan's
speech today was full of lies &
half-truths. He called for a population
policy & repeated the
lie that Muslim & Christian
population has increased.
Muslim population growth rate
has had the sharpest decline
among all. There's no 'demographic
imbalance'," tweeted
Owaisi while reacting to RSS
leader's Dussehra speech.
The Hyderabad MP said one
has to worry about the social
evils of child marriages and
sex-selective abortions. "84%
of married kids are Hindus.
Between 2001-2011, Muslim
female-male ratio leaped from
936 to 951 women for every
President pays tributes at the Kargil War Memorial
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1000 Muslim men. But, the
Hindu ratio only rose from 931
to 939," he wrote.
On the RSS chief's call for a
population policy, Owaisi
pointed out that India has
already achieved replacement
level fertility rates without any
coercive population policy.
"Similarly, fact-free Mohan
is worried about India's ageing
population & the need to have
younger population to help the
ageing. He should tell his student
Modi about it," said
Owaisi.
"No man has destroyed
India's demographic dividend
like he has. Majority of India is
young; they lack education,
govt support & jobs. What's the
future of a country whose PM
cannot promise anything more
than a few pakora stalls.
Population control policy will
mean fewer youth of working
age. How will they support an
ageing population?" he asked.
Kargil. President Ram Nath
Kovind on Friday visited the
Kargil War Memorial at Drass
and paid homage to the martyrs.
In a sombre atmosphere,
he laid a wreath of white flowers
at the memorial to pay his
homage to the soldiers, who
made the supreme sacrifice to
defend the nation during the
Kargil war. He was accompanied
by Northern Command
chief, Lt Gen Y.K. Joshi.
The War Memorial at the
foothills of Tololing was constructed
in 2004.
The President also participated
in Dussehra celebrations
and interacted with the jawans.
The President reached Drass
in an Indian Air Force helicopter,
accompanied by his daughter
Swati. He was received at
Drass by Ladakh Lt Governor
R.K. Mathur, Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development
Council Chairman Feroz
Ahmed Khan, and Kargil
District Magistrate Santosh
Sukhdeve.
Prior to reaching Drass,
early in the morning, the
President also paid floral tributes
to the former President Dr
On the RSS chief calling
Taliban terrorists, Owaisi
termed this a direct attack on
Modi, whose government hosted
them in the Indian embassy.
"If they're terrorists, will govt
list them as such under UAPA?
he asked.
He also slammed Bhagwat
for stating that that people in
Kashmir were reaping the benefits
of repealing Article 370.
He pointed out that there have
been 29 targeted killings of
civilians this year and there are
Internet shutdowns and mass
detentions. He said India's
highest unemployment rate of
21.6 per cent is in Jammu and
Kashmir.
On the RSS leader's demand
for National Register of
A.P.J. Kalam on his birth
anniversary at the Northern
Command, Udhampur, in
Jammu and Kashmir.
Late last evening, the
President interacted with the
jawans and officials of all ranks
along with their families at the
Northern Command HQ at
Udhampur. He extended best
wishes to the soldiers on the
occasion of Dussehra.
The President is on a twoday
visit to Ladakh. On
Thursday, he was at Leh, where
he performed Sindhu Darshan
puja.
UK records another 45,066 coronavirus cases
London. Another 45,066
people in Britain have tested
positive for Covid-19,
bringing the total number
of coronavirus cases in the
country to 8,317,439,
according to official figures
released on Thursday. It's
the highest daily number of
coronavirus cases since
mid-July, according to the
official data, Xinhua news
agency reported. The country
also recorded another 157
coronavirus-related deaths. The
total number of coronavirusrelated
deaths in Britain now
stands at 138,237. These figures
only include the deaths of
people who died within 28 days
of their first positive test.
There are currently 7,024
patients in hospital with Covid-
19. The data came as a study
has found coronavirus infections
among children increased
in England last month after
schools reopened.
According to the REACT-1
study led by Imperial College
London, the epidemic was estimated
to be growing among
those under 17, with coronavirus
reproduction number,
also known as the R number,
estimated at 1.18.
The R number indicates
the average number
of people each Covidpositive
person goes on to
infect. An R number
above one means the
coronavirus outbreak is
growing exponentially
while the number below
one means the case rate is
shrinking.
By contrast, the figure
for 18 to 54-year-olds was
estimated at 0.81, indicating
that the epidemic is contracting,
while for those over 55 it
was broadly steady.
More than 85 per cent of
people aged 12 and over in
Britain have had their first dose
of vaccine and more than 78
per cent have received both
doses, the latest figures
showed.
Citizens (NRC), Owaisi said
this was nothing but a weapon
to doubt citizens' Indianness
and harass them. "A govt that
didn't have a count of oxygen
deaths, frontline workers'
deaths, migrant workers' deaths
or farmer suicides thinks it will
verify citizenship of 1.37 billion
Indians."
Stating that Modi failed in
stopping Chinese soldiers from
coming into Ladakh, Sikkim,
Arunachal Pradesh, and
Uttarakhand, he asked why
Bhagwat didn't utter a word
about how our brave-hearts
were treated by Chinese.
"Bhagwat mentioned
Muslim patriots like
Ashfaqullah Khan & Muslims
who had fought in the armies
of Hindu Kings against socalled
Muslim invaders.
Ashfaqullah & Ram Prasad
Bismil were great friends.
Who destroyed such friendships
in the name of
Progressive thinker,
theatre artist G K
Govinda Rao no more
Hubballi (Karnataka).
Noted progressive thinker,
theatre person and writer
Professor G.K. Govinda Rao,
known for his sharp criticism,
passed away in the wee hours
of Friday at his daughter's residence
in Karnataka's
Hubballi.
Rao (86) was active in public
life and participated in all
major public movements in
the state.
Born on April 27, 1937,
Rao started his career as an
English Professor. He had
been a theatre artist for more
than five decades.
Chief Minister Basavaraj
Bommai expressed his condolences
and stated that society
has lost one of the finest
thinkers.
Opposition leader
Siddaramaiah in his condolence
message explained that
Prof. Rao was his well-wisher,
guide and dear friend.
"I am one among the family,
friends and fans who share
the grief of his death. I am
shocked by his death,"
Siddaramaiah maintained.
Minister for Higher
Education
C.N.
Ashwathnarayan stated that
Prof. Rao believed in democratic
values and dialogue. He
raised his voice whenever it
was required in society. "We
Fatherland and Holy land," he
asked.
"The record of Muslim
freedom fighters is such that
even Mohan is compelled to
praise them. The same cannot
be said about RSS & its ideologues.
They were always
epitomes of anti-national
activities & cowardice.
Savarkar advocated use of
rape against Muslim women
during war," Owaisi said.
"RSS cannot coexist in a
society that wants to progress
economically. Society must
choose between RSS's cowardice
& Ashfaqullah Khan's
bravery; RSS's betrayal of
India & Gandhi's patriotism;
RSS's ideology of
whining/resentment &
Maulana Azad's intellect &
education. Society must
choose between RSS's love for
inequality & Ambedkar's
desire for liberty, equality, fraternity
& justice," he added.
have lost a thinker," he added.
Rao had acted in several
Kannada films, including
'Grahana' and has appeared in
lead roles in the Kannada TV
serials, including popular
'Malgudi Days'. He was considered
an authoritative
resource person in the fields
of theatre and cinema.
He also used to give lectures
to university students on
theatre topics.
Rao was a critic of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi,
noted writer S.L. Bhyrappa
and Late Pejavar Seer on the
issues of the treatment of
minorities and blind beliefs.
His literary works include
'Eshwara Allah', 'Manu versus
Ambedkar; Tamma Ayke
Yavudu', 'Shakespeare
Samvaada' and others.
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ASIA
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
3
Nihangs told it is a farmers' protest, not
religious movement: Yogendra Yadav
New Delhi. Swaraj India
Convener Yogendra Yadav
on Friday said the Nihang
group, accused of mercilessly
killing a man at the
Singhu border, was several
times told by farmers' leaders
that this is not a religious
movement but a site for
farmers' agitation.
"Our several leaders have
time and again told them
(Nihang group) in the past
one-and- a-half month that
this is a farmers' protest and
not a religious movement.
P.L. Punia to head Congress'
UP Campaign Committee
New Delhi. Congress on Friday
announced five committees for
Uttar Pradesh elections and
appointed General Secretary
P.L. Punia as the head of the
Campaign Committee.
Acharya Pramod Krishnam
has been appointed Chairman
of the Chargesheet Committee,
former Union Minister Salman
Khurshid will head the
Manifesto Committee, Rajesh
Mishra the Planning and
Strategy Committee and former
state President Nirmal Khatri
the Election Coordination
Committee. The Congress has
also appointed four new
General Secretaries, 12 Vice
Presidents and 31 new
Secretaries as it seeks to galvanise
its state unit ahead of
polls. General Secretary in
charge Priyanka Gandhi has
been on forefront in the
Lakhimpur Kheri incident, as
Congress demands the dismissal
of Union Minister of
State for Home Affairs Ajay
Misra Teni for a free and fair
probe into the Lakhimpur
Kheri violence that claimed
eight lives.
One killed as speeding car rams religious procession in Chhattisgarh
Jashpur (Chhattisgarh). At
least one person was killed and
several others seriously injured
as a speeding car ploughed into
people proceeding to immerse
a Durga idol in Pathalgaon area
of Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district
on Friday, the police said.
While a police officer at the
spot said that four people have
died and more than 15 are seriously
injured, Jashpur's
Superintendent of Police Vijay
Agarwal confirmed only one
death so far and a number of
injuries.
Witnesses claimed that the
driver deliberately targetted the
gathering on Raigarh road, and
a viral video of the incident
makes for disturbing viewing.
The immersion procession
had set out from Pathalgaon at
around 1.30 p.m. when the
maroon-coloured Sumo, being
driven at a speed of 100-120
km per hour, crashed into it,
throwing people around "like
footballs" and crushing others,
But even then they remained
there," he said in a video
message.
Condemning the murder
and demanding strict punishment
for the perpetrators
of the barbaric act, he said
that the Samyukt Kisan
Morcha (SKM), will fully
cooperate and support a
legal investigation into the
matter.
The victim, identified as
Lakhbir Singh, a resident
of Punjab's Tarn Taran district,
was residing for the
past three to four days with
the same group of Nihang
Sikhs, who brutally killed
him, he said.
"We are against sacrilege
of any religious text
but on this basis no person
can be allowed to take law
in his own hands," Yadav
added.
Earlier on Friday, the
body of a man with a hand
chopped off was found at
the Singhu border, where
farmers have been protesting
against the three contentious
farm laws for the
past one year.
It is being alleged that
the man was caught while
desecrating the Sikh religious
holy book, however,
an official confirmation
about it is still awaited.
As per the images that
have surfaced on social
media, it is possible that
the man was tortured
before he was brutally
killed, and the incident has
sent shockwaves all
around.
Terrorist involved in shooting J&K
cop killed in Srinagar encounter
Srinagar. A terrorist, involved in the murder
of a Jammu and Kashmir Police officer
in Srinagar, was killed in an encounter
between terrorists and security forces at
Srinagar district on Friday, officials said.
"Killer of martyr PSI Arshid killed in
Bemina encounter," police tweeted quoting
IG, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar.
The encounter ensued after a joint team
of the police and the army, which cordoned
off the area for a search operation
on the basis of specific information about
presence of terrorists, came under fire
from the hiding terrorists and retaliated.
On September 12, Sub-Inspector
Arshid Ahmad was shot dead from a close
range in Khanyar area of Srinagar.
This is the second encounter in
Kashmir on Friday. Earlier, one terrorist
involved in a recent civilian killing was
gunned down in Pulwama district.
Identified as Shahid Basir Sheikh from
Srinagar, he was said to be involved in the
killing of Mohammad Shafi Dar, 45, a resident
of SD Colony, Batmalloo near his
residence on October 2.
including a youth who died on
the spot. The deceased was
identified as Gaurav Agarwal,
21. The Superintendent of
Police told the media that the
reckless driver was caught by
the people and thrashed badly.
A huge quantity of ganja was
also found in the vehicle, which
was set on fire by the enraged
people. However, a police officer
said that there were two
people in the car - Radheshyam
Vishwakarma, 21, and
Shishupal Shahu, both from
Madhya Pradesh. Both have
been arrested. The incident created
anger among the local people,
who, along with the body
of the killed youth, blocked the
Gumla-Katni highway. A police
official said the situation was
critical as more and more people
from nearby areas gathered
there. "Somehow, we managed
to control the situation. But
people are still there on the
spot. Senior officials have also
reached there," he added.
4
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
CPI-Maoist confirms death of top leader R.K. due to kidney failure
Hyderabad. The outlawed
Communist Party of India-
Maoist on Friday confirmed the
death of its top leader, Akkiraju
Haragopal alias Ramakrishna.
The Central Committee of
the banned outfit released a
statement announcing death of
63-year-old leader due to kidney
failure and other ailments.
According to the statement
signed by the party's
spokesman Abhay, he died at 6
a.m. on October 14 while
undergoing treatment.
Also known as Saket,
Madhu and Srinivas, R.K., as
he was most popularly known,
More than 30 dead in
Kandahar mosque blast
New Delhi. More than 30 people
have died while 90 others
have been injured after an
explosion tore through a Shia
mosque during Friday prayers
in the Afghan city of Kandahar,
the BBC reported.
Pictures from inside the Bibi
Fatima mosque show shattered
windows and bodies lying on
the ground with some other
worshippers trying to help.
The explosion's cause is not
yet clear, but it is suspected to
be a case of suicide bombing.
Witnesses said that there were
three blasts in the mosque.
IS-K, a local branch of the
Islamic State, is expected to
claim responsibility for the
attack, the BBC reported.
Kandahar is Afghanistan's
second largest city and the spiritual
birthplace of the Taliban,
so an attack in the city by IS-K,
which is extremely hostile
towards the Taliban, would be
significant.
Last Friday, a suicide attack
on another Shia mosque during
Friday prayers in the northern
city of Kunduz had killed at
least 50 people. IS-K had said
that it carried out the attack,
which was the deadliest since
the US forces left Afghanistan
at the end of August.
IS-K, a Sunni Muslim
group, is the most extreme
and violent of all the jihadi
militant groups in
Afghanistan. Sunni Muslim
extremists have targeted Shia
Muslims, whom they see as
heretics. IS-K has targeted
Afghan security forces, politicians
and ministries, the
Taliban, religious minorities,
including Shia Muslims and
Sikhs, US and Nato forces,
and international agencies,
including aid organisations,
the report said.
China agrees to cooperate in WHO's fresh Covid origin probe
Beijing. China has agreed to
support and participate in the
World Health Organisation's
(WHO) fresh probe to trace the
origins of the Covid-19 pandemic
that has globally infected
21.9 crore people while
claiming 45.5 lakh lives.
The WHO, this week,
launched a new task force --
Scientific Advisory Group on
the Origins of Novel Pathogens
(SAGO) -- of 26 global experts,
and called it "the last chance"
to find the Covid origins.
It is nearly two years since
the virus was first detected in
the Chinese city of Wuhan, yet
the question of how it first
emerged remains unclear.
Several studies/probes into the
was a Central Committee and
Politburo member.
Though the statement has
not mentioned the place where
the top Moist succumbed,
police sources had Thursday
said he died in south Bastar in
Chhattisgarh.
According to the statement,
R.K. suddenly developed a kidney
problem. Though he had
started receiving dialysis, his
kidneys failed. It claimed that
the party provided him the best
treatment but it proved futile.
Terming R.K.'s death a big
loss, the spokesman said his
last rites were performed
origins from scientists, governments,
and independent groups
have not yet solved whether the
virus jumped from animals to
humans in Wuhan markets or
leaked in a lab accident.
While China, since the
beginning has strongly refuted
the lab leak theory, its Foreign
Ministry said the country will
"continue to support and participate
in" (the probe), the South
China Morning Post quoted it
as saying.
At the same time, Beijing
has also called on the global
health body to uphold an
"objective, scientific"
approach, stating that it will
aoppose any political manipulation',
the report said.
amidst revolutionaries. The
party paid him tribute for the
"China will continue to support
and participate in the global
scientific origins tracing, and
resolutely oppose any form of
political manipulation,"
Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Zhao Lijian was
quoted as saying on Thursday.
Zhao also appeared to leave
the door open to future field
role he played in strengthening
the organisation and serving it
in various roles.
Haragopal was born in
Palnadu region of Guntur district
of Andhra Pradesh in
1958. Son of a school teacher,
he did post-graduation and
worked as teacher for some
time along with his father.
Attracted by the revolutionary
politics, he took membership
of People's War in 1978.
He became active in the organisation
in 1982.
According to the statement,
he became Guntur district
Secretary in 1986 and was elevated
as state committee member
in 1992. Subsequently, he
led the organisation in south
Telangana for four years and in
2000 he became Andhra state
committee secretary. At the 9th
Congress of People's War in
2001, R.K. was elected a
Central Committee member.
In 2004, R.K. led the
People's War in the talks with
then Andhra Pradesh government.
"He placed the people's
demands before the government
and along with other delegates
discussed them effectively,"
said the statement.
The party alleged that after
missions in the country, the
report said.
A joint WHO-China inquiry,
whose findings were released
in March this year, had dismissed
the possibility that the
virus had emerged accidentally
from a laboratory as "extremely
unlikely".
Undermining its own report,
Director General Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus in July,
proposed a second phase of
studies in Wuhan, which
includes audits of laboratories
and markets in the city, citing
that the investigation had been
hampered by a lack of data and
transparency from China.
On Thursday, Zhao said that
the first probe should be the
pulling out of talks, the government
started targeting the
Maoists and when it attempted
to kill Ramakrishna, the
Central Committee shifted him
to Andhra-Odisha border area
and gave him the charge of that
area. He worked as AOB
Secretary till 2014 and since
then, he was guiding the AOB
Committee. In 2018, the
Central Committee included
him in the politburo.
R.K. married Shirisha and
they had a son Munna alias
Pridhvi, who was killed in an
encounter with police in 2018
in Ramaguda.
Kerala's first artificial heart
implantation done successfully
Kochi. Kerala's first artificial
heart implantation was successfully
performed at a private
hospital on a 61-year-old
woman patient.
The cardiothoracic surgical
team at VPS Lakeshore hospital
implanted the Left
Ventricular Assist Device
(LVAD), an advanced and
unique mechanism designed to
aid patients suffering from
heart failure by helping the bottom
left chamber of the heart
(left ventricle) pump blood out
to the aorta and the rest of the
body.
The patient, who has been
undergoing treatment for dilated
cardiomyopathy (DCM) for
the past six years, was admitted
to the hospital with cardiogenic
shock, breathing difficulty, and
hypotension on September 13.
Her condition deteriorated
with ongoing heart failure with
fluid in the lungs (pulmonary
oedema) and she was shifted to
ventilator support.
Even though the option to
bring her back to life was a
heart transplant, which needs a
donor heart and an unpredictable
waiting period, time
was running out and it was then
the doctors decided to implant
LVAD - an artificial heart.
With the family's consent,
the doctors, on October 8 performed
the nine-hour-long
extremely rare surgery which
saved her life.
Now the patient is safe and
sound, she has started taking
food orally, and is in the recovery
phase undergoing rehabilitation.
As per the medical team, she
can live an improved, long, and
normal life with this support.
D.S. Sujith, the cardiothoracic
surgeon who led the team
of professionals, said, as organ
donation is in a plateau phase in
Kerala, ventricular assist
device (artificial heart) is a
boon in the present scenario as
a bridge to transplant as well as
destination therapy.
foundation for future work and
"adhere to a global perspective",
the SCMP reported.
China had, initially, rejected the
second probe accusing the
WHO of "arrogance" and a
"disrespect for common sense".
The proposed members of
the SAGO group include six
experts who visited China as
part of the previous team.
Besides Covid, SAGO will
also look into the origins of
other high-risk pathogens, the
BBC reported.
SAGO's work may be the
"last chance to understand the
origins of this virus", Michael
Ryan, the WHO's emergencies
director, was quoted as
saying.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
ASDA has more to offer you
for DIWALI than ever!
As the time to start preparing for your
Diwali celebrations approaches, ASDA is
there for you with a range of Diwali ingredients,
treats and essential supplies that's
bigger and better than ever. Enjoy reuniting
with your family and friends this year for an
extra-special and memorable festive period
without any worries, thanks to ASDA's
selection of all your favourite products and
trusted brands all under the same roof.
This year, it just got even easier to find
everything you need for the perfect Diwali
celebration, with 35 ASDA stores in key
areas featuring a Diwali product range in the
seasonal aisle for the first time, gathering all
your most trusted brands in one easy-tobrowse
location in-store and making it easier
for you to get ready to celebrate. You can
also shop Asda's Diwali range online HERE.
Asda's Diwali selection has everything
covered, whether you're looking for snacks
and treats, simple cooking from the frozen
range or a complex list of ingredients to prepare
your favourite meal. You don't need to
look any further as the shelves are stocked
with your favourite brands at an affordable
price that'll make all your preparations a
breeze.
This festive season, you can pick up a
10kg pack of Medium Elephant Atta for
only £6, or East End's finest Chakki Atta for
£5.50, as well as a 10kg bag of Trophy's
Basmati Rice for just £10.50, allowing you
to purchase your bulk ingredients with ease.
Cupboard essentials are equally affordable,
with a Rubicon 4 litre pack selling for £4.50
and any 3 KTC tins for just £1.
ASDA is excited to help you celebrate
the festival of lights and ensure everything
is as easy, convenient, and affordable as
possible in the run up to the festival so you
can focus on what's important - celebrating
with your family, friends and loved ones.
Visit your nearest ASDA to begin stocking
up on your favourite Diwali snacks, treats
and supplies, or head to asda.com to browse
your Diwali essentials from anywhere.
Sidhu meets Rahul Gandhi, withdraws
resignation as Punjab Cong president
New Delhi : Congress leader Navjot
Singh Sidhu who resigned as the chief of
party's Punjab unit last month has met
former party president Rahul Gandhi at
his residence here following which he
withdrew his resignation. Congress'
Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat was also
present in the meeting.
After the meeting that took place on
Friday evening, it is believed that the
political situation in Punjab will become
normal now. Punjab Chief Minister
Charanjit Singh Channi is expected to
arrive in the national capital on Saturday
morning to attend the Congress Working
Committee (CWC) meeting.
During the meeting that lasted for
about an hour, Rahul Gandhi took feedback
from Sidhu. After the meeting,
Harish Rawat said: "Sidhu has assured
Rahul Gandhi that he will discharge his
responsibilities properly... and he will
continue as the Punjab state president.
He told Rahul Gandhi that he has withdrawn
his resignation." "He (Sidhu)
shared his concerns with Rahul Gandhi.
We have told him that his concerns will
be taken care of here," Rawat said.
Sidhu had reached Delhi on Thursday
and met organization general secretary
KC Venugopal and Punjab in-charge
Harish Rawat at the Congress headquarters.
On the instructions of the Congress
High Command, Sidhu arrived here on
Thursday evening and held a meeting
with both the leaders. This was the first
meeting held in Delhi after Sidhu's resignation.
The Gandhi family is said to be
angry with the manner in which Sidhu
had resigned, and therefore, he was
called to Delhi. It is expected that now
after Sidhu's meeting with Rahul Gandhi,
the impasse in the Punjab Congress has
been resolved. "Whatever my issues
were... I have told the party high command,
I am sure that Priyanka Gandhi
and Rahul Gandhi will understand my
point and I have faith in their decision.
Whatever decision they take will be in
the interest of the Congress and Punjab,"
Sidhu had earlier said on Thursday after
the meeting.
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
5
For Congress, Dalit lives
are expendable as long as
it suits their politics: BJP
New Delhi : Questioning Rahul Gandhi and Punjab Chief
Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's silence over the brutal Singhu border
murder, the BJP said that for the Congress, Dalit lives are expendable,
as long as it suits their politics.
BJP general secretary and Punjab in-charge, Dushyant Gautam
told IANS that any death is unfortunate but to draw the attention of
the Gandhi siblings (Rahul and Priyanka), a Dalit has to die in a BJP
ruled state. "Both the Gandhi siblings only react to unfortunate incidents
which happen in BJP-ruled states and remain silent on happenings
in Congress-ruled states.
"Congress Chief Ministers Bhupesh Baghel and Channi
announced compensation for an unfortunate incident in Uttar Pradesh
to politically establish Gandhi siblings but not a single penny for the
Dalit resident in Punjab who was killed yesterday," Gautam said.
The body of Lakhbir Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran in Punjab,
was found hanging with a severed hand, close to the main stage of the
farmers' protest site near the Delhi-Haryana border on Friday morning.
In a tweet, in-charge of the BJP's National Information and
Technology Department, Amit Malviya said: "24 hours after the
gruesome murder of Lakhbir Singh, a Dalit Sikh, Rahul Gandhi hasn't
said a word. Neither has Punjab CM announced any compensation
for the family, which hails from Punjab. Clearly, for the Congress,
Dalit lives are expendable, as long as it suits their politics."
On Friday, BJP general secretary (organization) B.L. Santhosh
tweeted: "They lost every moral right to call themselves farmers. It's
time saner elements if any among them to apologise to nation and
withdraw and engage with government unconditionally."
Taking note of the brutal murder, Chairman of National
Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC), Vijay Sampla had on
Friday asked the Haryana DGP to immediately arrest the culprits.
Fadnavis: MVA govt
'most corrupt', betrayed
public mandate in 2019
Nagpur (Maharashtra) : In a stinging counter-attack at
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Leader of
Opposition Devendra Fadnavis once again labelled the
MVA government as the "most corrupt" in the state's history,
here on Saturday. Rubbishing Thackeray's statements on
Friday night that the BJP was misusing central agencies like
ED, IT, CBI to target the non-BJP ruled states, Fadnavis
defended the Centre, saying it was not doing so. "If indeed
the Centre had really misused the probe agencies, then half
the MVA cabinet ministers would have been in jail.
See on Page 17
6 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Man killed on Singhu border belonged to Punjab: Hry Police
Chandigarh. Haryana Police said
on Friday that an FIR was lodged
in connection with the murder of a
man belonging to Punjab near the
farmers' protest site on the Singhu
border in Sonepat district.
However, no arrest has been made
so far in connection with the case.
A police spokesperson said
that on Friday, the police in
Kundli got information that
Nihangs had tied a person to a
barricade with his hand chopped
off near the protest site.
It is being alleged that the man
was caught while desecrating the
Sikh religious holy book.
However, an official confirmation
about this is still awaited.
By the time the police reached
the spot, the person had died.
When the police tried to take the
body away, the people at the spot
protested, an official statement
said.
After some efforts, the body
was brought to the Civil Hospital
in Sonepat for post-mortem. An
FIR has been registered under
Sections 302 and 34 of the Indian
Penal Code (IPC).
People were questioned
regarding the incident but, no
concrete information was
received. After making extensive
efforts, the deceased was identified
as Lakhbir Singh, son of
Harnam Singh, a resident of
Chimakhurd village in Tarn
Taran district.
SKM condemns gruesome murder at
Singhu border, disassociates from Nihangs
New Delhi. The Samyukta
Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday
condemned the barbaric killing
of a man at the Singhu border
protest site and has disassociated
itself from the Nihangs.
A statement issued by the
SKM said: "A Nihang group at
the scene has claimed responsibility,
saying that the incident
took place because of the victim's
attempt to commit sacrilege
with regard to the Sarbaloh
Granth. It is been reported that
he was staying with the same
group of Nihangs for some
time."
SKM, an umbrella body of
over 40 Indian farmers' unions
against Centre's three farm laws,
has identified the deceased as
Lakhbir Singh from Cheema
Kala village of Punjab.
"The SKM condemns this
gruesome killing and wants to
make it clear that both the parties
to this incident, the Nihang
group and the deceased person,
have no relation with Morcha.
The Morcha is against sacrilege
of any religious text or symbol,
but that does not give anyone the
right to take the law into their
own hands," it said.
The group has demanded that
the culprits be punished according
to law after investigating the
allegation of murder and conspiracy
behind sacrilege.
"This peaceful and democratic
movement is opposed to violence
in any form," the statement
added.
An unidentified decedent
with a chopped left hand was
found tied to an inverted police
barricade at the Haryana-Delhi
Singhu border outside of Delhi
on Friday morning, sending
shockwaves.
The body was found near the
staging area of the anti-farm law
protest site where the farmers
have been demonstrating against
the three farm laws since past 10
months.
The Haryana Police have registered
an FIR against unknown
people in the incident.
The police are yet to ascertain
the identity of the victim.
2nd Covid wave in Delhi shows reaching herd immunity hard with Delta: Study
New Delhi. The severe outbreak
of Covid-19 in Delhi this year
showed not only that the Delta
variant of SARS-CoV2 is
extremely transmissible but that
it can infect individuals previously
infected by a different
strains of the virus, according to
a team of international scientists.
The team led by National
Centre of Disease Control and
the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR),
Institute of Genomics and
Integrative Biology, India, along
with collaborators from the
University of Cambridge and
Imperial College London, UK,
and the University of
Copenhagen, Denmark, used
genomic and epidemiological
data, together with mathematical
modelling to study the outbreak.
To determine whether SARS-
CoV-2 variants were responsible
for the April 2021 outbreak in
Delhi, the team sequenced and
analysed viral samples from the
previous outbreak in November
2020 until June 2021.
Their findings, published in
the journal Science, showed that
the 2020 outbreaks in Delhi were
unrelated to any variant of concern.
The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7)
was identified only occasionally,
primarily in foreign travellers,
until January 2021.
The Alpha variant increased
in Delhi to about 40 per cent of
cases in March 2021, before it
was displaced by a rapid
increase in the Delta variant
(B.1.617.2) in April.
The researchers examined a
cohort of individuals recruited
by CSIR. In February, 42.1 per
cent of unvaccinated subjects
participating in the study had
tested positive for antibodies
against SARS-CoV-2.
In June, the corresponding
number was 88.5 per cent, suggesting
very high infection rates
during the second wave. Among
91 subjects with prior infection
before Delta, about one-quarter
(27.5 per cent) showed increased
levels of antibodies, providing
evidence of reinfection.
When the team sequenced all
the samples of vaccinationbreakthrough
cases at a single
centre over the period of the
study, they found that among 24
reported cases, Delta was sevenfold
more likely to lead to vaccination
breakthroughs than non-
Delta lineages.
Since the first case of Covid-
19 was detected in Delhi in
March 2020, the city had experienced
multiple outbreaks, in
June, September and November
2020. In November 2020, the
capital city had almost 9,000
cases daily, but it declined
steadily between December
Stalin urges 4
CMs to allow
sale of green
firecrackers
Chennai. Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister M K. Stalin has
urged his counterparts in
Delhi, Odisha, Rajasthan and
Haryana to reconsider the
ban on sale of firecrackers
and allow sale of green
crackers.
In a letter to his four
counterparts, Stalin requested
them to allow the sale of
firecrackers that falls within
the norms set by the Supreme
Court and the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) in
their states during this
Diwali.
Citing the apex court's
order of allowing green
crackers, Stalin said a blanket
ban was not reasonable.
"Such a ban is not prevalent
in other countries.
Moreover, such a ban if
imposed by other states also,
would lead to the closure of
the entire industry, jeopardising
the livelihood of around
8 lakh persons," Stalin said.
"You would also appreciate
that bursting of firecrackers
is an integral part of
Indian festivals, especially
Diwali. A balanced approach
that gives due regard to environment,
livelihood and public
health is possible and necessary,"
he added.
Nearly 90 per cent of the
country's firecrackers are
made in Sivakasi in Tamil
Nadu and about eight lakh
workers are dependent on
this sector.
2020 and March 2021. However,
the situation reversed dramatically
in April 2021, going from
approximately 2,000 daily cases
to 20,000 between March 31 and
April 1. "The concept of herd
immunity is critical in ending
outbreaks, but the situation in
Delhi shows that infection with
previous coronavirus variants
will be insufficient for reaching
herd immunity against Delta,"
said Professor Ravi Gupta from
the Cambridge Institute of
Therapeutic Immunology and
Infectious Disease.
"The only way of ending or
preventing outbreaks of Delta
is either by infection with this
variant or by using vaccine
boosters that raise antibody
levels high enough to overcome
Delta's ability to evade
neutralisation," he added. The
research was also supported by
the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Council of
Scientific and Industrial
Research, and Department of
Biotechnology.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ASIA
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
7
3 in 10 people globally don't have basic
handwashing facilities at home: Unicef
United Nations. Globally,
around three in 10 people, or
2.3 billion, do not have handwashing
facilities with water
and soap available at home, the
Unicef said.
The situation is worst in the
least developed countries, with
over six in 10 people without
access to basic hand hygiene,
the UN agency said in a fact
sheet on Global Handwashing
Day, which falls on October 15.
According to the latest estimates,
two in five schools
worldwide do not have basic
hygiene services with water
and soap, affecting 818 million
2 more killed in fresh
communal violence
in Bangladesh
Dhaka. A three-member
probe body has been
formed after two more
persons were killed in a
fresh attack in
Bangladesh. The attackers
vandalised puja
mandaps and carried out
attacks on temples in
Noakhali's Begumganj
upazila during the celebrations
of Durga Puja.
The committee is
being headed by
Additional District
Magistrate Md Tarikul Islam,
confirmed Mohammad
Khurshed Alam Khan, deputy
commissioner of Noakhali district.
The committee was asked
to submit its report within
seven working days, he added.
A dead body of a youth
named Pranto Chandra
Namodas, 20, was recovered
from the pond adjacent to
ISKCON temple in
Chowmuhani early on
Saturday. Earlier, another man
was killed and 30 others were
injured after locals carried out
attacks on several temples in
Chowmuhani area of Noakhali.
Meanwhile, Asaduzzaman
Khan Kamal, the home minister
claimed everyone involved
in the communal attack will be
identified and punished under
the law. He said the government
is firmly determined to
ensure that people of all religions
can freely perform their
religious rituals.
Tazul Islam, Minister of
Local Government and Rural
Development of Bangladesh,
has called opon local public
representatives to be alert and
stand strong against those who
would seek to destroy communal
harmony.
"I am making a call to all
students, of which 462 million
attend schools with no facility
at all.
In the least developed countries,
seven out of 10 schools
have no place for children to
wash their hands.
One-third of health care
facilities worldwide do not
have hand hygiene facilities at
points of care where the
patient, health care worker, and
treatment involve contact with
the patient. The latest data
show that some progress has
been made since 2015.
The global population with
access to basic hand hygiene at
public representatives at the
city corporation, municipality,
upazila parishad, district
parishad and union parishad
level, and all other institutions...
Be ready," he said at an
event in Dhaka on Saturday.
On the eighth day of Durga
Puja, Quran was allegedly disrespected
at a temple in
Cumilla which led to attacks on
Hindu places of worship which
triggered clashes.
After that several incidents
occurred in Chandpur,
Chattogram, Cox's Bazar,
Bandarban, Moulvibazar,
Gazipur, Chapainawabganj and
other districts. The BGB personnel
have been deployed in
two dozen districts and security
was beefed up at puja venues.
Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud
Swapan, Whip of the National
parliament and organising secretary
of the ruling Awami
League, after visiting the
affected temples on Saturday,
said Friday's attacks on several
temples at Chowmuhani in
Noakhali were pre-planned. He
said, "A group of fanatic
Bangladeshis planned to destabilise
the country by carrying
out the attacks on the provocation
of the so-called prime minister's
spoiled child. It was not
an isolated incident."
China renews alert for cold wave
Beijing.China's National
Meteorological Centre (NMC)
on Saturday renewed a blue
alert for a cold wave, forecasting
low temperatures and gales
in vast regions of the country.
From 8 a.m. Saturday to 8
a.m. Monday, temperatures are
expected to drop by 6 to 10
degrees Celsius in parts of the
northern, northeastern, central,
eastern, southern and southwestern
regions, Xinhua news
agency reported citing the
Centre as saying.
Some areas in the provinces
of Shandong, Henan, Anhui,
Jiangsu and Zhejiang will see a
temperature decline of above
14 degrees Celsius, according
to the center.
It also forecasts strong and
gusty winds in most of the central
and eastern regions in the
upcoming days.
The Centre advised the public
to take precautions against
the cold weather and strong
winds and suggested traffic and
police authorities prepare for
icy road conditions.
China has a four-tier, colourcoded
weather warning system,
with red representing the most
severe weather, followed by
orange, yellow and blue.
Bill Clinton to receive treatment
in hospital: Spokesperson
home has increased from 5 billion
to 5.5 billion, or from 67
per cent to 71 per cent.
However, if current trends
persist, 1.9 billion people will
still not have access to basic
hand hygiene by the end of the
decade.
The cost to provide hand
hygiene in all homes in 46 of
the world's least developed
countries by 2030 is an estimated
$11 billion.
"Global response efforts to
the pandemic have created an
unprecedented time for hand
hygiene. Yet progress remains
far too slow for the most vulnerable,
underserved communities,"
Unicef WASH Director
Kelly Ann Naylor was quoted
as saying in a statement.
"Hand hygiene cannot be
viewed as a temporary provision
to manage Covid-19.
Further long-term investment
in water, sanitation and hygiene
can help prevent the next health
crisis from coming. It also
means fewer people falling ill
with respiratory infections,
fewer children dying from diarrhoeal
diseases, and more pregnant
mothers and newborns
protected from preventable
conditions like sepsis."
Washington. Former US President Bill
Clinton's health indicators are "trending
in the right direction", but he will continue
to receive treatment at a Southern
California hospital for one more night,
his spokesperson said.
Clinton, 75, was admitted on
Tuesday evening to the University of
California (UC) Irvine Medical Center
in Orange County for a non-coronavirus-related
infection, Xinhua news
agency reported on Saturday.
His white blood count has decreased
significantly, his spokesperson Angel
Urena said on Friday, adding that
Clinton will remain in the hospital
overnight to "receive further IV antibiotics".
Clinton was in an intensive care section
of UC Irvine Medical Center,
though not receiving "ICU care",
KABC-TV, the West Coast flagship station
of the ABC television network,
quoted an aide to the former
President as saying.
The aide told reporters at the
hospital that Clinton had a urological
infection that spread to his
bloodstream, but is on the mend
and never went into septic shock, a
potentially life-threatening condition.
Clinton was in Southern
California for a private reception
and dinner for the non-profit
Clinton Foundation.
After meeting friends in Orange
County on Tuesday, he reported
feeling fatigued, an aide to the former
President was quoted as saying
by The Los Angeles Times.
Clinton, a member of the
Democratic Party, served as the
42nd US President from 1993 to
2001.
8 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Russia invites US for upcoming talks on Afghanistan
Moscow. Russia has invited a
US delegation to participate in
the talks on Afghanistan slated
to take place in Moscow on
october 20, a top official said
here.
Moscow is also currently
considering a proposal by Iran
on hosting in Tehran a meeting
of foreign ministers of
Afghanistan's neighbours,
Xinhua news agency quoted
Zamir Kabulov, Russia's
Special Presidential
Representative for Afghanistan,
as saying on Friday.
A day earlier, the Russian
Foreign Ministry said that postconflict
reconstruction and
humanitarian assistance will be
high on the agenda of the multilateral
talks.
Russia has also invited
Taliban representatives to the
meeting.
The Moscow-format consultations
on Afghanistan
were launched in 2017 on the
basis of the six-party mechanism
for consultations among
representatives from Russia,
Afghanistan, China, Pakistan,
Iran and India.
The first round of the consultations
took place on April
14, 2017 and were attended
by the Deputy Foreign
Ministers and representatives
of 11 countries, namely
Russia, Afghanistan, China,
Pakistan, Iran, India,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan.
Pakistanis lash out at Imran Khan for 'petrol bomb'
New Delhi. Known for their
biting wit and unmatched
humour when it comes to
memes, Pakistanis on Twitter
lashed out at the government's
decision to hike the price of
petroleum products, Geo News
reported.
Pakistanis woke up Saturday
morning to find out that the
Ministry of Finance had
okayed a Rs 10.49 per litre hike
in the price of petrol. As
expected, many took to social
media to show their visceral
disdain of the government's
action, the report said.
#PetrolPrice was trending on
Twitter as the netizens vent
their anger on social media.
A Pak twitterati said petrol
stations are set to be the new
spot for "expensive" dates,
given the surge in prices of
petroleum products.
Reacting to the recent hike
in petrol prices, PML-N
Punjab Police bust illegal arms supply racket
Chandigarh. Punjab Police
on Saturday busted an interstate
illegal arms supply
racket in Sangrur district
with the arrest of two persons.
Two country-made
weapons and ammunition
were recovered from their
possession.
The arrested persons have
been identified as Pawan
Kumar, a resident of Aligarh
district in Uttar Pradesh, and
Kulwinder Singh from
Muktsar Sahib district in
Punjab.
Senior Superintendent of
Police Swapan Sharma told
the media that following the
rise in incidents of illegal
weapons supply in Sangrur
and its surrounding areas, a
Special Investigation Team
(SIT) headed by DSP
Yogesh Kumar and
Inspector Deepinder Singh
was formed.
After a month-long investigation,
the SIT managed to
bust the inter-state racket, he
said, adding that this was
one of many trips which
Kumar made to Punjab,
when he was nabbed.
Kumar had supplied several
weapons in Amritsar
and Tarn Taran districts.
The SSP said that Kumar
was working on the behest
of Chanchal Kumar, a resident
of Aligarh, who is posted
at an army formation in
Mau.
Apparently, Kumar was in
contact with illegal arms
manufacturers and he had
several conduits making trips
to deliver country-made
weapons to anti-social elements
in the state.
The SIT revealed that
President and Leader of the
Opposition in the National
Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif said
that following a 14 per cent
increase in power tariff, the
"petrol bomb" on the masses is
a continuation of the "minibudget".
Lashing out at the PTI government,
Shehbaz Sharif said
that Prime Minister Imran
Khan has no right to remain in
office and demanded his resignation,
the report said.
In a statement, PPP
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said
the PTI government has
brought a "tsunami of inflation"
in the country, reacting to the
hike in petrol price.
"The government is actually
charging people for its incompetence.
During the PPP era,
the burden of rising petroleum
prices and products in the
world market was never shifted
to the masses," he said.
Madhya Pradesh has become
a hub of illegal arms manufacturing.
Investigation in the
previous cases also pointed
to Madhya Pradesh as the
place of origin of countrymade
weapons. Sharma said
that recovery of large quantity
of arms and ammunition is
likely in the coming days.
In the last six months,
Sangrur police have registered
17 cases under the
Arms Act and recovered 32
country-made weapons.
In another operation
launched by Ropar police, an
inter-state gang involved in
illegal arms business was
busted with the arrest of five
persons and recovery of five
country-made pistols.
SSP Vivek Sheel Soni
said that police teams had
conducted a raid and
nabbed five persons with
arms who were engaged in
illegal arms smuggling
from other states.
Another Nihang Sikh
surrenders in Punjab
in Singhu murder case
Chandigarh. The second
accused and a Nihang Sikh,
identified as Parminder Singh,
in the Singhu border lynching
incident, on Saturday surrendered
at a gurdwara before the
police in Jandiala Guru in
Amritsar district in Punjab
amidst the presence of a huge
sympathizers.
The local police had to show
patience to allow the accused to
surrender on his own after paying
obeisance and performing
rituals in the shrine.
Earlier, he had announced to
surrender after paying obeisance
at Akal Takht in Amritsar.
Parminder Singh has been
named in the murder of Lakhbir
Singh, who had allegedly committed
sacrilege at the farmers'
protest site on Singhu border on
the periphery of the national
capital on Friday.
His wife accompanying him
at the time of surrender told the
media the family has no
remorse and no regret over the
act of her husband.
"It was an act to punish over
sacrilege. Whoever indulges in
an act of sacrilege, we will treat
them in this manner," she
added.
Police officials told IANS
the accused has been later
handed over to Haryana Police
for further investigation.
Earlier, another Nihang
Sikh, identified as Saravjeet
Singh, took the responsibility
for the brutal murder and surrendered
before Haryana
Police. He was produced before
a court on Saturday and was
remanded to police custody for
seven days.
The incident took place in
the wee hours of Friday on the
Singhu border dividing
Haryana and Delhi when
Lakhbir Singh (30), a resident
of Tarn Taran district in Punjab,
was seen carrying the Sarbloh
Granth -- a holy Sikh religious
scripture -- by a Nihang Sikh
man.
Lakhbir was then accused of
desecrating the Sarbloh Granth.
The arguments soon turned violent
and the man's hand was
allegedly chopped off amid the
chaos.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk ASIA 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 9
'Sardar Udham': Cinematography and Vicky
Kaushal shine in astutely recreated period saga
Film: Sardar Udham (Streaming on Amazon Prime); Duration: 162 minutes.
Director: Shoojit Sircar. Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Shaun Scott, Stephen Hogan, Banita Sandhu, Kristy Averton and Amol Parashar.
Rating: ****
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre
in Amritsar in 1919 may be
an incident etched in the memories
of all Indians owing to its
mention in our history textbooks,
but not many know about
the valour and sacrifice of Sardar
Udham Singh, an ordinary lad
from holy city, who witnessed
this tragedy up close and personal.
He was haunted by the memories
of that traumatic day for 21
years before he took revenge by
assassinating Michael O'Dwyer,
the then Lieutenant Governor of
Punjab, upon whose orders
General Dyer opened fire.
How Udham Singh joins
Bhagat Singh's Hindustan
Socialist Republican Association
(HSRA) and moves to London
and there, with the help of others
who are a part of the revolutionary
movement, including a
British woman, Eileen Palmer,
eventually manages to shoot
O'Dwyer and his trial thereafter,
form the crux of this film.
The tale is straightforward,
albeit narrated at a languid pace,
but the plot, narrated in a nonlinear
manner, goes back and
forth in time to establish the
rationale behind Udham's
resolve and provide a glimpse of
his early life and his journey as a
revolutionary.
The film belongs to Vicky
Kaushal, who essays the title
role with subtlety and an underlying
ferocity, all at once. He is a
man with a single-minded mission
and never loses focus.
Is NCB spreading
terror in Bollywood,
asks Nawab Malik
Mumbai. In a fourth stinger attack in the
past 10 days, NCP Minister Nawab Malik
on Saturday asked whether the Narcotics
Control Bureau (NCB) is willy-nilly targeting
film personalities to instil terror in
Bollywood with the help of some outsiders.
Malik revealed details of a NCB witness
Fletcher Patel who claims to be a
family friend of the agency's Zonal
Director Sameer Wankhede and has posted
pictures on social media with a woman
he calls 'Lady Don'.
"Who is this Fletcher Patel and the
other woman, 'Lady Don'? How come this
Fletcher Patel, who's close to Sameer
Wankede figuring as a Witness (Pancha)
in at least three NCB cases. Is it ethically
correct and what does it reflect on the
credibility of the NCB's operations
against drugs," demanded Malik.
Again accusing NCB of carrying out
fraudulent raids on prominent personalities
to grab publicity, the Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) National
Spokesperson said in the past one year
alone, Fletcher Patel was a Witness in CR
No 38/20, CR No 16/20 and CR No 02/21,
and his team was collecting more information
on other cases.
"After we exposed the two persons
linked with the BJP, the NCB last week
said that they did not know any of the
'Independent Witnesses' they had taken on
record in the cruise ship raids. Then how
come the same Witness Fletcher Patel
appears in multiple NCB cases in the past
one year, known to the NCB chief," Malik
asked.
Later, Fletcher Patel and the alleged
'Lady Don' Yasmeen Wankhede, said to be
a relative of the NCB chief, appeared on
certain media channels and denied Malik's
allegations.
"I have been saying from the beginning
that the NCB is carrying out fake raids on
film personalities but now with the
involvement of Wankhede's friends and
family members emerging as witnesses in
official case, what is the real motive
behind these operations. As in the past, the
NCB must hold a press conference and
clarify," Malik demanded.
He again questioned if the so-called
NCB raids are 'pre-planned' in advance
with close friends like Fletcher Patel taken
in as 'Witness' in multiple cases, violating
the laws.
"Also, who is this 'Lady Don'. It has
come to light that she is a lawyer and connected
with one political party. So what
are their motives and links with the NCB
chief? What is the real racket going on in
Bollywood with these people. The NCB
must reply to this," Malik asked.
Each year of the wait to
achieve his goal is a struggle and
he portrays that with brutal honesty
-- whether it is seeking
refuge under various aliases or
doing odd jobs to buy time or
hone his skills. His body language,
broken English, unbridled
confidence and fearlessness,
all exude the aura of a revolutionary
and freedom fighter.
The screenplay by
Shubhendu Bhattacharya is taut
and well-researched, throwing
light on several historical facts
unknown to many. The period is
recreated with honesty and one
is transported there. The dialogues
are crisp, yet hard-hitting,
particularly O'Dwyer's scathing
speech at Caxton Hall before he
is shot, reiterating that "It is the
right and the duty of the British
to rule India". One can feel
Udham Singh's anger upon hearing
these words, further
strengthening his resolve.
The cinematography by Avik
Mukhopadhyay is atmospheric
and enriches the scenes with
unparalleled brilliance. His lens
brings alive each frame with
candour and the story with it.
Particularly noteworthy is the
heart-wrenching Jallianwala
Bagh massacre scene where the
pain and pathos of those injured
and dying are palpable.
The end of the film, maybe
known to us and predictable, but
the surge of patriotism and the
awe-inspiring feeling for Udham
Singh is something Shoojit
Sircar manages to arouse in each
viewer. The dauntless unremorseful
Udham Singh, with
Bhagat Singh's photograph in his
clenched fist as he lies motionless,
becomes an everlasting
memory.
Overall, with a runtime of
162 minutes, there are moments
when you feel the viewing is a
bit tedious.
3 tips to heal from
the loss of a loved one
New Delhi. Is there a certain time
period to wait to heal from losing a
loved one? This is a difficult question
to answer, but very important to ask. I
personally get asked this question a
lot, and my response is always the
same: "It takes as long as it takes."
Some people want to know exactly
how long their recovery period will be
so they can know when they've "gotten
over" their loss.
It is okay to feel sad. There will be
days when you will want to close all
the blinds, lock yourself in a room and
cry until you have no more tears left to
shed. There will be days when you will
forget all the happy memories
and only remember the
last time you saw your loved
one, how they looked and
smelled, how they made you
happy and how their presence
in your life made you
feel warm and secure.
What is not okay to feel is
any form of regret. Regret
for all the things that you
could not give to that person.
Regret that you didn't even
get to say goodbye. Regret
that life did not turn out the
way it was supposed to. All
of these regrets can put you in a slumber
that you will not be able to escape,
so do not regret a thing!
Every day we hear about a new
death in the news, someone who was
just starting out in their life, or someone
who was on the brink of dying
from a terminal illness. These stories
strike our hearts and make us feel
something inside. We remember how
it felt to lose a loved one and we wonder
if the family affected feels the
same way that we did. If you're reading
this, then you might be having
some difficulty coping with the loss of
your loved one and are desperately
seeking the journey to healing.
Here are 3 tips that can help you
through it:
Surrender to the experience and
unveil
Surrender to the experience of your
loss. Don't try to change it. Surrender
to it being messy, lost, or incomplete.
Surrender to the fact that life does go
on, though not in the same way.
Surrender to not being okay. In truth,
no one can ever really "handle" a loss
and often it affects you deeply, but
what I wish more people knew was
that our grief is more than okay, it's
important. We all carry a story within
us and sometimes those stories are
heavy and painful. Your grief is a story
that tells you more about the experiences
of your life. Don't be embarrassed
of it, don't run from it and don't
let anyone tell you that you're weak for
feeling it. It's okay to feel your feelings.
Bring all your experience, pain and
knowledge into your body
This activity works best when you
are in the presence of something beautiful,
moving or inspiring. It may be
watching the sunset or listening to a
song or seeing a person or a candle or
anything that evokes emotion for you.
Close your eyes and bring your attention
within yourself, down to your
heart, where you can feel the feelings
beneath the feelings. Get cozy with
what's there. Remember that emotions
are neither masculine, nor feminine,
nor right, nor wrong, they simply
exist.
Acknowledge what you're feeling
Acknowledging what you're feeling
is not acknowledging that
you're weak or broken; it's
about accepting the reality of
your situation. Take time to
practice self-care by getting
enough sleep, eating healthy,
and exercising. If it is possible,
go for walks in nature
because it can help you feel
relaxed and re-energized. You
can also meditate to help calm
your thoughts which will ultimately
help you to feel more
relaxed. Share your story with
someone who understands and
get it off your own shoulders.
I strongly believe that there is always
someone out there who can relate to
what you are going through.
The loss of a loved one feels like
losing a piece of your heart forever. It's
an absolute tragedy and it's something
that will affect everyone differently.
One of the best ways to get through the
process of healing after a loss is to surround
yourself with people who have
experienced similar situations. Never
be afraid to seek out professional
advice when needed.
10 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 ASIA
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Drone warfare is a new challenge, we
are capable to handle it: NSG DG
Manesar (Gurugram). National Security
Guard (NSG) DG M.A. Ganapathi on
Saturday said that drone warfare is a new
challenge and the NSG is fully capable to
handle it.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the
37th foundation day event of the NSG, here
on Saturday.
"Every security force needs to upgrade
counter drone technology. Drones are an
easy way to create mischief, to drop bombs
and payload like weapons and ammunition,"
he said.
Earlier, speaking at the 37th foundation
day of the NSG, the DG said that the NSG
has been upgrading itself to the new security
challenges and in the last few years, many
initiatives have been taken to strengthen the
counter terror measures.
"To effectively deal with drone attacks,
the Force is now equipped with counter
drone equipment, radar, jammers and drone
killing guns", Ganapathi said.
Referring to the upgradation of the force
in the last one year, he further said that in
light of the drone attacks on Jammu airport
recently, the Counter terrorism Commando
forces of NSG, equipped with anti-drone
technology, been deployed at the Jammu and
Srinagar airports to provide anti-drone cover
to these vital installations.
The force has also destroyed the IEDs and
tiffin box bombs sent across the border
through drones in Amritsar in Punjab, he
added.
The NSG DG further said that the Force
has been equipped with modern weapons and
equipment and also strengthened the infrastructural
setups across the country and
indoor shooting ranges have been established
in Manesar, Delhi, Hyderabad,
Mumbai and Kolkata.
With an aim to increase the efficiency of
the bomb disposal squads, mini-remotely
operated vehicles, total containment vehicles,
and robots have been added to the force,
he added.
He also said that to deal with multiple
attacks at multiple locations at the same
time, the Gandiv 3 mock exercise was conducted
last month and in coordination with
all agencies, and forces were dispatched to
Bhopal, Ahmedabad from Delhi for this
exercise.
Ganapathi also said that NSG's Close
Protection Force has provided security to the
VVIPs in over 4,600 events in the last one
year despite Covid-19 restrictions and also
provided security to the VVIPs in over 260
public gatherings and road shows during the
last assembly elections.
He also said all NSG personnel have been
fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and a 60 bedded
hospital has been set up at NSG campus
here with its own resources.
Devotees immerse Durga idols in Yamuna despite ban
New Delhi. Despite ban on idol
immersion in Yamuna river and other
natural water bodies in the national
capital, several people flouted the
rules issued by the Delhi Pollution
Control Committee (DPCC), a day
before the 'visarjan' (immersion) ritual.
Yamuna Ghat at the ITO was
found littered with idols and other
religious materials on Saturday
morning.
DPCC in its October 13 order had
ruled that idol immersion during
Durga Puja and other forthcoming
festivals in any public place, including
river Yamuna or any other water
body, ponds and ghats, should not be
allowed.
"Consequent pollution of such
water bodies has been a matter of
concern. In addition to silting, toxic
chemicals used in making idols tend
to leach out and pose serious problems
of water pollution. Studies carried
out to assess deterioration in
water quality due to idol immersion
reveal the deterioration of water quality
in respect to conductivity, biochemical
oxygen demand and heavy
metal concentration," the order read.
The DPCC had ruled that idol
immersion rituals may be performed
in a bucket and container within the
home premises.
Convener of Yamuna Jiye
Abhiyan, Manoj Mishra, told IANS,
"The prohibition of idol immersion in
any public place including Yamuna
imposed by DPCC is a welcome step
especially in view of idols made of
Plaster of Paris (PoP) or painted with
lead-based paints. But it is hardly a
measure to rejuvenate the river which
is already overloaded with sewage
and toxic pollutants from industries."
The DPCC had directed the
District Magistrates to enforce guidelines
related to idol immersion,
adding that each violator will be
liable to pay Rs 50,000 to the DPCC
body.
River Yamuna whose catchment
covers parts of Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh in addition to that of Delhi, is
most polluted in and around the
national capital. Its top pollution
sources are the Sewage Treatment
Plants (STPs), untreated water from
unauthorised colonies as well as
sewer from authorised colonies.
However, a clean and pollutionfree
Yamuna has been the poll promise
of Delhi government for more
than 25 years now.
The first Yamuna Action Plan
(YAP) for which a loan agreement
was signed in 1992, aimed at
improved water quality conservation
and hygienic environment in the river
basin.Talking about the Delhi government's
efforts in delivering on its
promise of a cleaner Yamuna, Mishra
said, "It is too early to say if Delhi
government is delivering on its clean
Yamuna promise which is contingent
to adequate flow in the river on which
hardly any action is underway."
Idol immersion turns
violent in Patna: 1
killed, several injured
Patna. Immersion of Durga
idols turned ugly in Patna on
Saturday after two groups
clashed in which one person was
killed and several others were
injured.
The incident occurred in
Chowk police station in Patna
city near Janata hotel, when the
two groups on way for immersion
of Durga idols in river
Ganga, had an altercation over a
trivial issue.
The altercation took an ugly
turn and they started firing at
each other. One of the bullets hit
a 23-year-old youth Vikky
Chaudhary in his chest.
He was immediately taken to
Nalanda Medical College and
Hospital (NMCH) where doctors
declared him dead, said an official
of Chowk police station.
Patna police deployed a large
number of police force in the
area to bring situation under control.
In another incident, violent
clash occurred in Pali area of
Patna late on Friday night, leaving
more than a dozen persons
injured.
The incident occurred after
some miscreants started misbehaving
with girls and women
during the Vijay Dashmi celebrations.
When it was objected
by the families, the miscreants
opened fire on them. The families
of girls also opened fire on
the miscreants, leading to chaos
in the area.
Two persons, identified as
Pinku Kumar and Chiku Kumar
received gunshot injuries in this
incident. They were admitted in
local hospital and are said to be
out of danger.
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ASIA
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
Keen to offer solutions to UAE, says K'taka minister
Bengaluru. Karnataka being a
hub of startups in India is keen to
offer ground-breaking solutions
to private companies and government
organisations of UAE in
various sectors ranging from
logistics to infrastructure, oiland-gas
to environment and
waste management to healthcare
C.N. Ashwath Narayan, the
Minister for IT/Bt and Science
Technology said in Dubai on
Saturday.
Addressing the Inauguration
Ceremony of 3 days event
'World Dubai Expo 2020', he
said that some of the sectors in
the UAE that are witnessing the
massive presence of Indians,
especially Bengaluru based startups
and tech majors.
"Karnakata government
which is playing the role of a
facilitator has been undertaking
all tech-focused initiatives in
line with achieving the vision
set by our Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to make India
reach the 5 trillion dollar economy
by 2025. Shared economic
visions and geopolitical outlooks
have spurred the two
sides (Karnataka and UAE) to
seek to expand cooperation
across multiple domains
including in investment, technology,
and the knowledge
economy", Minister Narayan
explained.
Karnataka is one of the prosperous
states in India with an
estimated GSDP of $220 billion
and has been a leader in
sectors of Information
Technology, I-T enabled services,
Electronics, Machine
Tools, Aerospace, and
Biotechnology, he pointed out.
Further, the Minister added,
11
"Karnataka has a robust Startup
which includes MNCs/GCCs,
incubators, and accelerators.
Besides the State is home to
premier higher education institutions
such as Indian Institute
of Science (IISc), the Indian
Institute of Management (IIM),
the International Institute of
Information Technology (IIIT),
and several others. The state
has sector-specific policies for
IT, BT, Electronics System
Design & Manufacturing
(ESDM), Animation, Visual
Effects, Gaming and Comics
(AVGC) in order to give a push
to the growth of the technology
sectors and innovation in the
State." He said, Karnataka is a
leading global innovation hub
due to partnerships established
with innovation hubs such as
UAE, adding that the government
of Karnataka is interested
to strengthen its relationship
with the UAE on common
grounds of innovation and
technology.
NASA sends Lucy mission to seek out solar system's 'fossils'
Washington. In a novel bid to
seek out the origin of our solar
system, the US space agency on
Saturday launched the Lucy mission,
the agency's first to
Jupiter's Trojan asteroids.
Launched atop the United
Launch Alliance Atlas V 401
rocket from the Cape Canaveral
Space Force Station in Florida in
the US at around 3 p.m. (India
time), Lucy will circle back to
Earth three times for gravity
assists, making it the first spacecraft
to return to the vicinity of
Earth from the outer solar system.
During its 12-year primary
mission, Lucy will explore a
record-breaking number of asteroids,
including a flyby of one
asteroid in the solar system's
main belt and seven Trojan asteroids
near Jupiter.
"Lucy embodies NASA's
enduring quest to push out into
the cosmos for the sake of exploration
and science, to better
understand the universe and our
place within it," said NASA
Administrator Bill Nelson. "I
can't wait to see what mysteries
the mission uncovers!"
Lucy will explore the Trojan
asteroids with a suite of remote
sensing instruments.
Additionally, the navigation
cameras will be used to determine
the shapes of the Trojan
asteroids.
Lucy will be the first spacecraft
to study Jupiter's Trojan
Asteroids.
These small bodies are remnants
of our early solar system,
now trapped in stable orbits
associated with -- but not close
to -- the giant planet Jupiter.
The Trojan asteroids are in
two "swarms" that lead and follow
Jupiter in its orbit around the
Sun and are almost as numerous
as the objects in the Main
Asteroid Belt.
These primitive bodies hold
vital clues to deciphering the history
of the solar system.
"A true mission of discovery,
Lucy is rich with opportunity to
learn more about these mysterious
Trojan asteroids and better
understand the formation and
evolution of the early solar system,"
said Thomas Zurbuchen,
associate administrator for the
Science Mission Directorate at
the agency's Headquarters in
Washington, DC.
The spacecraft's first Earth
gravity assist in 2022 will accelerate
and direct Lucy's trajectory
beyond the orbit of Mars. The
spacecraft will then swing back
toward Earth for another gravity
assist in 2024, which will propel
Lucy toward the
Donaldjohanson asteroid - located
within the solar system's main
asteroid belt - in 2025.
"It will still be several years
before we get to the first
Trojan asteroid, but these
objects are worth the wait and
all the effort because of their
immense scientific value.
They are like diamonds in the
sky," said Hal Levison, Lucy
principal investigator from the
Southwest Research Institute
(SwRI).
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Manmohan Singh diagnosed with
dengue, gradually improving: AIIMS
New Delhi. Former Prime
Minister Manamohan Singh
has been diagnosed with
dengue, but his health condition
is gradually improving and
is out of danger, an AIIMS official
said on Saturday.
The official said that the former
Prime Minister's "platelets
are increasing and is out of danger
now".
The veteran Congress leader
was admitted to the AIIMS on
Wednesday evening after he
complained of fever and weakness.
Union Health Minister
Mansukh Mandaviya also visited
him and enquired about his
health.
A team of doctors, under the
guidance of Nitish Nayak, a
well -known cardiologist, are
attending on the former Prime
Minister.
He had developed fever
three days ago and was feeling
weak after which he was rushed
to AIIMS.
Singh had tested positive for
Covid-19 in April this year during
the second wave of the pandemic
and had been admitted to
the AIIMS.
Africa's Covid cases
surpass 8.41 million
Smartphone app helped people
significantly lower their BP
Addis Ababa. The number of
confirmed Covid-19 cases in
Africa reached 8,414,571 cases
as of Friday afternoon, the
Africa Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention (Africa
CDC) said.
The Africa CDC, the specialised
healthcare agency of
the African Union (AU), said
the death toll from the pandemic
across the continent stands at
215,042, Xinhua news agency
reported. Some 7,786,325
patients across the continent
have recovered from the disease
so far, according to the
agency. South Africa, Morocco,
Tunisia and Ethiopia are among
the countries with the most
cases in the continent, according
to the agency.
In terms of caseload, southern
Africa is the most affected
region, followed by the northern
and eastern parts of the continent,
while central Africa is
the least affected region in the
continent, according to the
Africa CDC.
New Delhi. A three-year-long
study involving nearly 28,000
adults has shown that a smartphone
app and a connected
monitor were able to help them
significantly lower their blood
pressure.
The programme, called
Hello Heart, let people track
their blood pressure, weight,
and physical activity and
offered tips on how to manage
blood pressure.
After one year of using the
programme, over 85 per cent of
people with stage 2 hypertension
had reductions in their systolic
pressure, which stayed at
lower levels over the course of
three years, according to the
study published in the journal
JAMA Network Open.
Most participants achieved
and maintained lower blood
pressure during a follow-up
period that lasted as long as
three years, said the
researchers.
"This is the first peerreviewed,
published study
reporting the long-term experience
of a digital health application
for blood pressure management,"
said study author
Alexis Beatty, a cardiologist
and associate professor at the
University of California, San
Francisco.
The 'Hello Heart' programme
included a blood pressure
monitor that automatically
sends readings directly to an
app.
The app monitors trends and
automatically gives users
strategies to improve their
blood pressure with things like
diet and exercise.
This cohort study enrolled
US adults with elevated BP or
hypertension between January
1, 2015, and July 1, 2020. The
hypertension self-management
programme was provided
through the participant's (or
their spouse's) employer health
plan.
The findings suggest that a
mobile technology hypertension
self-management program
can support long-term BP control
and very high BP detection.
Such programmes may
improve real-world BP monitoring
and control, said the
researchers.
Previous studies of mobile
technology-facilitated BP selfmanagement
interventions
have found significant associations
with BP control.
"To our knowledge, this is
the first study reporting longterm
experience with a digital
health application for hypertension
management, with a
magnitude of association that
is potentially clinically meaningful,"
the study authors
noted.
Although weight loss was
associated with lower BP,
weight loss did not appear to
mediate the association
between engagement and
lower BP.
"Thus, other factors were
likely responsible for the association
of engagement and
lower BP. Such factors may
include medication adherence,
sodium intake reduction, stress
management, and sleep management,
which are encouraged
by the app's recommendation
system," the team noted.
Future studies should examine
the efficacy and dissemination
of mobile technologyfacilitated
BP self-management
interventions and their
real-world effectiveness in
other settings and populations
as well as deeper investigations
into the mechanisms that drive
their effects on BP control,
they recommended.
Global Covid-19 caseload tops 240 mn
Washington. The global coronavirus caseload
has topped 240 million, while the deaths have
surged to more than 4.88 million and vaccinations
soared to over 6.58 billion, according to the
Johns Hopkins University.
In its latest update on Saturday morning, the
University's Center for Systems Science and
Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current
global caseload, death toll and the total number
number of vaccine doses administered stood at
240,036,345, 4,888,986 and 6,586,517,325,
respectively.
The US continues to be the worst-hit country
with the world's highest number of cases and
deaths at 44,883,603 and 723,747, according to
the CSSE.
In terms of infections, India follows in the
second place with 34,037,592 cases. The other
worst countries with over 3 million cases are
Brazil (21,627,476), the UK (8,400,971), Russia
(7,804,750), Turkey (7,601,596), France
(7,180,773), Iran (5,765,904), Argentina
(5,271,361), Spain (4,984,386), Colombia
(4,978,689), Italy (4,712,482), Germany
(4,366,833), Indonesia (4,233,014) and Mexico
(3,744,574), the CSSE figures showed.
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are
Brazil (602,669), India (451,814), Mexico
(283,574), Russia (217,382), Peru (199,775),
Indonesia (142,889), the UK (138,792), Italy
(131,503), Colombia (126,796), Iran (123,695),
France (118,153) and Argentina (115,660).
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
13
Kerala State Film Awards: Jayasurya
wins best actor, Anna Benn is best actress
Thiruvananthapuram.
Malayalam actor Jayasurya,
who just a few day backs
wrote himself into the record
books when his 100th film
was released, on Saturday
added another feather to his
crowded cap when he was
named Best Actor by the
jury of the 51st Kerala State
Film Awards.
The jury was chaired by
the popular actress
Suhashini and the awards
were announced here by the
state's Minister for Films
and Fisheries Saji Cherian.
Jayasurya bagged the
award for his stellar role in
the film 'Vellam'. Anna Ben,
who is 26 years old, got the
Best Actress award for her
role in the film 'Kappela'.
This is the second state
award that Jayasurya has
bagged in his two-decadeold
acting career. Anna, who
is the daughter of popular
script writer Benny P.
Nayarambalam, came to the
notice of audiences and critics
with her 2019 debut film,
'Kumbalangi Nights'. Ever
since, she has been flying
high. 'The Great Indian
Kitchen' directed by Jijo
Baby walked away with the
Best Film award. Sidharth
Siva was named Best
Director for the film
'Ennivar'. The Best
Character Actor award went
to Sudheesh; Sreerekha was
named the Best Character
Actress. The hugely popular
film 'Ayyapanum Koshyum'
was adjudged the Best Film
with Popular Appeal and
Aesthetic Value.
M. Jayachandran got the
award for Best Music
Director and Chandru Selvaj
for Best Cameraman for
their contributions to Sanal
Kumar Sasidharan's
'Kayattam', which was one
of the nominees for the Kim
Jiseok Award at the 2020
Busan International Film
Festival.
Lucky Ali impresses with
his best compositions
79th Golden Globe Awards on
Jan 9, 2022, despite controversies
Mumbai.Noted singer, songwriter
and actor Lucky Ali has
impressed the viewers with the
rendition of his best compositions
like 'O Sanam' and 'Gori
Teri Aakhein Kahen' on the final
episode of 'Unacademy Unwind'.
He performed the songs in a new
style that made the lyrics more
refreshing.
Hailing from a musical family,
the love for tunes and
melodies came naturally to
Lucky Ali, and as he puts it:
"The notes always made more
sense than conversations."
Lucky Ali also believes that
"a song is never really over
because it's a continuation. Like
many of the songs that I've
released, now I sing them differently.
So it has a life after release
also".
Talking about his experience
Los Angeles. The Hollywood
Foreign Press Association
(HFPA) has announced that it
plans to present the 79th annual
Golden Globe Awards on
January 9, 2022, disregarding
the many controversies over
racism and sexism in the journalists'
body, and with no telecast
partner in sight to replace
the American network NBC,
which had disassociated itself
from the event earlier this year.
On Friday, the HFPA
unveiled the traditional calendar
with submission deadlines in
various categories. It put to rest
speculation over the fate of the
79th Golden Globes after the
HFPA was plunged into turmoil
by a 'Los Angeles Times' report
in February pinpointing the
organisation's questionable
internal practices and the lack of
diversity.
NBC, which had been the
HFPA's longtime telecast partner,
decided to drop out because
of the internal issues rocking the
organisation. Matters came to a
head when Tom Cruise returned
the three Golden Globes he had
won in the 1990s and Scarlett
Johansson added her voice to
growing criticism of the HFPA.
Since then, the organisation has
said that it had cleaned up its
act under its new German president.
of performing on the show,
Lucky Ali said: "It was done
very professionally as always. It
was a grand show with great
lighting sequences and ample
space for us to ideate with each
other. Many of us had worked
for the first time with each other,
like the three musicians who had
come from Egypt, Delhi and
Dharamsala."
"So, that was the experience
for me, it was just intense. We
practiced till we got the interpretations
right. Till then we didn't
move on stage. It's just a good
example of connection between
different varied artistes, new
artistes. It was my good fortune
to have been in that environment,"
he added.
SL to restart ETA service
for travellers at airport
Colombo.The Sri Lankan government
has announced that it
has decided to restart the onarrival
Electronic Travel
Authorisation (ETA) service at
its airports for fully vaccinated
international travellers.
In a statement on Friday,
Immigration and Emigration
Department Controller General
Sarath Rupasiri said the issuance
of on-arrival ETA would facilitate
tourists who were unable to
obtain an online ETA due to time
constraints in arranging their
journey to Sri Lanka, reports
Xinhua news agency.
Rupasiri said the facility
would be available at the
Bandaranaike International
Airport in Colombo and the
Mattala Rajapaksa International
Airport in Hambantota.
However, despite the facility,
the controller general advised
travel operators to encourage
incoming tourists to obtain the
online ETA prior to their arrival
in the country to avoid unnecessary
delays at the airport.
Sri Lanka saw the highest
tourist arrivals growth in
September with 13,547 arrivals
while the country recorded
37,000 visitors from January to
September.
IS claims responsibility for
Kandahar mosque bombings
New Delhi. In a statement on its
Telegram channel, the Islamic
State (IS) terror group on
Saturday claimed that its
Khorasan branch (IS-K) carried
out the twin bombings inside the
Shia mosque in Kandahar, that
claimed the lives of 63 people
while injuring 83 others.
In the statement, the terror
group said that two IS-K suicide
bombers carried out the attack
on Friday inside the Bibi Fatima
Shia mosque in the city's police
district one (PD1) when hundreds
of worshippers were offering
prayers, Khaama Press
reported.
The statement said that the
first suicide bomber detonated
his explosives in the hallway of
the mosque and while the second
did it inside.
Initial reports had said that
there were three suicide bombers
who shot at security guards of
the mosque and then entered and
detonated their explosive vests.
It is the second deadly attack
by the group in the past two
weeks targeting the Shia
Muslims in Afghanistan.
Friday's attack came exactly
after a week when another Shia
mosque in Kunduz city was hit
by a suicide bombing which
claimed the lives of at least 50
people.
The IS-K had claimed responsibility
for the attack, which was
the deadliest since the US forces
left Afghanistan at the end of
August.
Earlier this week, Russian
President Vladimir Putin had
said that a large number of IS
militants have been entering
Afghanistan which can threaten
the security of Central Asian
countries.
The Taliban, which took over
Afghanistan in August, said the
IS were only making trouble but
were not a threat.
14 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Farm fires in Punjab this year till now
less than last year's, but more than 2019
New Delhi. The government has
claimed that the number of farm
fires in Punjab, Haryana and
eight districts of Uttar Pradesh
falling in the NCR this season
have gone down compared to
last year. But the numbers for
Punjab till October 13, even if
way less than last year's, are
more than that in 2019.
It is the season of Kharif crop
harvesting in north-west India.
Despite measures by the multiple
government departments,
such as providing happy seeders
and harvester machines, the
farmers in Punjab and Haryana
resort to stubble burning with the
pollution ultimately travelling to
Delhi-NCR. The farmers resort
to stubble burning owing to short
window between harvesting
Kharif crop and sowing for Rabi.
Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) has been
monitoring farm fires on a daily
basis for many years now.
According to the ISRO data, the
cumulative fire count from
October 1 till October 13 for the
year 2019 was 715; for 2020 it
was 2413 and this year, it is 842.
The numbers show that the
stubble burning, called Parali
burning in popular parlance, is
definitely less this year till
October 13 compared to last
year, but it is more than the number
of such incidents 2019.
Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts
lead almost all three years
among the most farm fire incident
districts, the others being
Amritsar, Ferozpur, Gurdaspur,
Kapurthala, FG Sahib and
Faridkot.
The data for three years
shows that Amritsar registered
244 farm fires in 2019, 682
instances in 2020 and till Oct 13
this year, the number stands at
211; Tarn Taran district registered
143 farm fires in 2019, 598
in the year 2020 and 211 till Oct
13 this year; Ferozpur registered
30 farm fires in 2019, 138 in
year 2020 and 31 till now this
year; Gurdaspur had 22 farm
fires in 2019, 162 in 2020 and
just 34 this year till Oct 13;
Kapurthala registered 20, 69 and
41 farm fire incidents in 2019,
2020 and 2021 respectively;
Faridkot registered 11, 52 and 17
while FG Sahib registered 06, 48
and 46 incidents in 2019, 2020
and 2021 till October 13 respectively.
On Friday, the government
claimed that paddy residue burning
events have reduced by
69.49 per cent in Punjab, by
18.28 per cent in Haryana and by
47.61 per cent in the eight NCR
districts of Uttar Pradesh during
the one-month period since
September 15 compared to the
same period last year.
There are two main reasons
why despite so many far farms
this year, the air pollution levels
are considerably less till now.
One, the harvesting of paddy
crop has not picked up as yet as
much as it should have been
because of the delay in withdrawal
of monsoon and second,
the wind direction and velocity
was not favourable for transferring
air pollution to Delhi-NCR
till Thursday.
Data from the Agriculture
Ministry has shown that paddy
harvesting is complete only on
5.51 per cent of the 411.46 lakh
Ha across India. "Even in Punjab
the inclement weather has meant
that the farmers had delayed harvesting
the kharif crop. That will
further narrow down the window
and the farm fire instances are
set to rise," said an official from
Punjab.
According to data from
Punjab, the total paddy crop
area in both Punjab and
Haryana is estimated to be at 31
lakh Ha this year, of which as
much as 26 Ha is under nonbasmati
rice that causes the
stubble burning problem.
Farmers prefer particular variety/varieties
that are offered
substantial value under the government's
Minimum Support
Price (MSP).
This year, after the formation
of the permanent
Commission for Air Quality
Management for Delhi NCR
and Surrounding Areas
(CAQM), the Union Ministers
for Environment and
Agriculture had taken personal
interest and held multiple meetings,
some together, some individually,
with the officials and
political leadership from
Punjab and Haryana both.
Efforts were made by Punjab
government for bio-decomposition
of parali over 5 lakh Ha,
one such meeting on September
23 was informed.
The India Meteorological
Department (IMD) has indicated
that there would be rainfall
in north-west India on October
16 and 17, after which it is likely
that there would be stronger
winds towards Delhi that can
lead to increased air pollution.
System of Air Quality and
Weather Forecasting And
Research (SAFAR) at the
Indian Institute of Tropical
Meteorology (IITM), Pune is a
research-based initiative integrating
multiple factors and
issues forecast for air quality
for Delhi and three other cities.
SAFAR has also been tracking
farm fire incidents based on
satellite images from ISRO and
NASA.
Explained senior IITM scientist
and Director, SAFAR,
Gufrain Beig: "Till the time
monsoon does not withdraw,
there are no calm weather conditions.
Therefore, late withdrawal
of monsoon means local
dust and long-range dust transport
was more. Therefore, the
PM10 particles are more at this
time and PM2.5 particles that
are unhealthier are relatively
very less compared to last
year."
"When monsoon withdrawal
is complete, not just the wind
speed and direction, the temperature
too will then matter.
Then Delhi-NCR will have
more air pollution from parali
burning travelling towards it,"
he said. The CAQM has been
regularly talking with not just
Punjab but also with Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh for ensuring
strict implementation of the
action plan and the framework
to curb paddy residue burning
as per the protocol. CAQM has
also held series of meetings
with state government officials
including the district collectors/
district magistrates of Punjab,
Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
"From Monday onwards,
after this two-day likely rain in
northwest India, will we be able
to gauge the correct scenario
vis-a-vis stubble burning.
Whether or not our efforts at
restricting farm fires are successful
will be known then,"
said an officer from the
Environment Ministry, who has
kept tabs at the development,
but did not want to be quoted
by name.
PIA official was held at gunpoint
for hours by Taliban commanders
New Delhi. The Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA) suspended
its flights to Kabul after
what it called "heavy handed"
interference by Taliban authorities,
including arbitrary rule
changes and intimidation of
staff, The News reported.
The PIA said that ever since
the new Taliban government was
formed, its staff in Kabul had
faced last-minute changes in regulations
and flight permissions
along with "highly intimidating
behaviour" by Taliban commanders.
It said its country representative
had been held at gunpoint
for hours at one point and was
only freed after the Pakistan
Embassy in Kabul intervened,
the report said.
The suspension of flight operations
came as the Taliban government
ordered the airline, the
only international company
operating regularly out of Kabul,
to cut ticket prices to levels seen
before the fall of the Westernbacked
Afghan government in
August.
A PIA spokesman told Geo
News that operations have been
suspended for an "unspecified
period" and that the decision was
taken in the backdrop of "inappropriate
behaviour" demonstrated
by the Afghan authorities.
Undesirable conditions for
the operation of international
flights in Kabul and the Taliban
government's "last minute
changes in decisions" are also
part of the reason PIA made the
move, the spokesman said.
The PIA said it has decided
that no aircraft will go to Kabul
without insurance, the report
said.
Earlier, the Taliban had
warned the PIA and Afghan carrier
Kam Air that their Afghan
operations risked being blocked
unless they agreed to cut ticket
prices, which have reached levels
increasingly out of reach for
most Afghans.
With most international airlines
no longer flying to
Afghanistan, tickets for flights
to Islamabad were selling for as
much as $2,500 on PIA,
according to travel agents in
Kabul, compared to $120-$150
before. The Afghan transport
ministry had said in a statement
that prices on the route should
"be adjusted to correspond with
the conditions of a ticket before
the victory of the Islamic
Emirate" or the flights would
be stopped. It had urged passengers
and others to report any
violations. Flights between
Afghanistan and Pakistan have
been severely limited since
Kabul airport was reopened last
month in the wake of the chaotic
evacuation of more than
100,000 Westerners and vulnerable
Afghans following the
Taliban take over. With a
mounting economic crisis
adding to the worries about
Afghanistan's future under the
Taliban, there has been heavy
demand for flights out and the
main passport office in Kabul
has been besieged by people
trying to get travel documents
since it reopened earlier this
month. Demand for flights has
been further pushed by repeated
difficulties at land border crossings
into Pakistan.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
15
Iran reaches out to Russia, China for help
to counter Turkey-backed Azerbaijan
New Delhi : Iran has advised
Azerbaijan to be cautious of "devil's
costly traps" and avoid making false
statements which could permanently
damage the relations between the two
countries.
While addressing a virtual meeting
of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) Council of Heads of State
on Friday, President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev had accused Iran of conspiring
with Armenia and promoting
drug trafficking for nearly three
decades. Aliyev said that by regaining
control over a 130-kilometer section
of the state border with Iran that had
been under Armenian control for nearly
30 years, Azerbaijan has closed the
drug trafficking route from Iran
through Armenia's Jabrayil region to
Armenia and then to Europe.
"The volume of heroin seized by us
in other areas of the Azerbaijani-
Iranian border has doubled compared
to the same period last year. This
means that for about 30 years,
Armenia, together with Iran, used the
then occupied territories of Azerbaijan
for drug trafficking to Europe," said
the President of Azerbaijan.
Reacting strongly to the comments,
Tehran said that "ignoring the principles
and requirements of the neighbourhood
and making false and
unconstructive statements" is not a
sign of good faith and prudence.
"Accusation against a country that the
world recognises as a hero in the fight
against drugs has no effect other than
invalidating the speaker's words.
Beware of the devil's costly traps,"
said Secretary of Iran's Supreme
National Security Council (SNSC) Ali
Shamkhani in a series of tweets.
Iran's Foreign Ministry also strongly
rejected the "astonishing new allegations"
made by Aliyev, calling them
"fabricated". Tehran emphasised the
"leading role" played by Iran in the
fight against drug trafficking, highlighting
that thousands of martyrs and
wounded Iranians during the past four
decades in the fight against this "ominous
phenomenon" is part of the country's
committed and continuous efforts
on this path and which has been
acknowledged by relevant international
institutions over and over again.
"Unfortunately, it seems that
despite the private and positive messages
received from Baku in different
calls, there is an intention on the part
of Baku to make baseless media statements,
which, of course, will be
answered in due manner," said Iran's
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh.
Countering 'Three Brothers'
The fresh war of words is the latest
addition to the escalating tensions
between the two neighbours which
share a 700-km long border.
Tehran is becoming increasingly
Islamic State suffers big blow
as West Africa leader dies
New Delhi : In a big blow to
radical Islam, the leader of the
Islamic State West Africa
Province (ISWAP) Abu Musab al-
Barnawi is dead, Nigerias top
general has said. "I can authoritatively
confirm to you that Abu
Musab is dead," Lucky Irabor, the
chief of defence staff, told
reporters at the presidential villa
in Abuja, without elaborating.
ISWAP, led by Al Barnawi since
2016, is an offshoot of the infamous
Boko Haram terror group,
which has created havoc in West
Africa. Analysts believe that the
death of Al Barnawi is expected to
have a positive impact on the
region. The terror master controlled large
swathes of territory, imposed taxes on the
local population. He also earned substantial
income by controlling fishing in north
Borno areas, apart from funding and material
support that he received from ISIS, the
Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust reported.
Al-Barnawi had also established many
nodes in the Lake Chad islands, the launching
pad for attacks in three countries -
Nigeria, Niger and Chad. The daily said
that Al-Barnawi had died in late August but
did not give any details.
Al Barnawi's death has delivered yet
another heavy blow to the Islamist movement
in West Africa. Boko Haram leader
Abubakar Shekau was killed in May.
Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi of Islamic
State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) has also
died this year.
Al Barnawi rose to the highest rank in
ISWAP after a bitter power struggle with
Shekou, who pledged allegiance to the
Islamic State in 2015. But ISIS passed on
the leadership mantle to Al Barnawi, who
had a wide following in Boko Haram. Al
Barnawi's father was Muhammed Yusuf,
the founding father of Boko Haram. As a
result, Al Barnawi inherited the loyalty of
many Boko Haram fighters after Yusuf was
killed by Nigerian police in 2009, sparking
a nationwide insurrection.
The ISIS which was in the lookout
to co-opt Boko Haram, finally chose
Al-Barnawi as ISWAP leader over the
rebellious Shekou.
India Narrative had reported earlier
that Shekou was killed in May after
ISWAP assaulted his stronghold in the
Sambisa Forest area.
According to the Nigerian news
website HumAngle, after his bodyguards
were killed or captured, Shekau
surrendered, and tried to cut a deal
with ISWAP. But after he was asked to
issue a humiliating surrender statement,
Shekau blew himself up, detonating
a suicide vest that he was wearing.
All people present during the
negotiations were also instantly killed.
"Africa is going to be the battleground
of jihad for the next 20 years and it's going
to replace the Middle East," BBC quoted
US State Department's coordinator for
counter-terrorism, ambassador Nathan
Sales as saying.
Since Shekau's death, the Nigerian
armed forces say that thousands of Boko
Haram fighters have surrendered to them,
Reuters is reporting. Last month, France
announced that its forces had killed the
ISGS leader al-Sahrawi. ISGS is Islamic
State's affiliate in the Sahel, a strip of land
below the Sahara Desert that includes
countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina
Faso.
worried about the rising Azerbaijani
nationalism inside Iran, where over 25
percent of the population is ethnic
Azeri. Analysts believe that in the
name of "combatting Islamophobia"
and promoting "peaceful co-existence"
of Muslim communities all
over the world, Azerbaijan is busy
nurturing a trilateral partnership with
Turkey and Pakistan to increase its
influence on the Azeris of Iran, especially
after the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The trio also held a two-week
long trilateral exercise 'Three Brothers
- 2021' in Baku mid-September in
which special forces from the three
countries focused on targeting threats
and fostering interoperability.
Referring Azerbaijan, Turkey and
Pakistan as "close friends and brothers",
Commander of the Azerbaijani
Special Forces Lieutenant General H
Mirzayev said that Ankara and
Islamabad's support "from the first
day" of the 44-day counter-offensive
operations launched by Azerbaijan
against the Armenian armed forces
says a lot about the close ties enjoyed
between "our" people.
"Today, cooperation between our
countries in all areas is at the highest
level. Important measures are being
taken to further strengthen and develop
our relations to ensure the region's
and peoples' security," said Mirzayev.
Infuriated Iran then held a military
drill codenamed Fatehan-e Khaybar
(Conquerors of Khyber) along its
Azeri borders, saying that it will not
tolerate foreign presence in the northwest
region of the country.
Tehran reaches out to Moscow
Tehran has also intensified diplomatic
efforts to play an active role in
the region which is witnessing some
intense geopolitical activity after the
Taliban's return in Afghanistan.
Amirabdollahian also told Jeyhun
Bayramov, the foreign Minister of
Azerbaijan, on the sidelines of the UN
General Assembly that "third parties
should not be allowed" to affect the
good relations between the two countries.
On October 14 - "at the initiative
of the Iranian side" - Russia's Minister
of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov held
a telephonic conversation with his
Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir
Abdollahian. According to the Russian
foreign ministry, the situation around
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action on the Iranian nuclear program
was examined as both parties "synchronized
watches" on key issues of
the bilateral agenda, which were discussed
during the talks between the
two ministers in Moscow on October
6. On Friday, Abdollahian also dialled
China's State Councillor and Foreign
Minister Wang Yi and updated him on
the resumption of talks between Iran
and the European Union, which took
place on Friday. The two sides also
expressed their readiness to implement
the 25-year cooperation document
and agreed that the talks will
continue at the same level in Brussels
in the coming weeks.
Youths blackmail K'taka
women over nude pics,
extorts Rs 5 lakhs
Bengaluru : Police
in Karnataka have
launched a manhunt for
two youths in connection
with blackmailing a
woman over nude photos
and videos and
extorting Rs 5 lakhs
from her.
A complaint has been
lodged with the
Basavanagudi Women's
police station in Bengaluru by the 21-year victim in this regard.
She has alleged that the two accused, identified as Chiraag
and Harshith from Bengaluru who met her on Instagram, took
her to a room, gave her juice laced with sedatives and then captured
the images and the video. According to the complaint,
Chiraag came in contact with the victim on September 5, 2020.
They developed a bond, after which they exchanged numbers
and started speaking regularly. Taking advantage, the accused
brought the victim to Mysuru on September 26 on the pretext of
introducing her to his parents. But instead of taking her home,
he took her to a lodging. In the room, he had given juice laced
with sedatives and the victim had become unconscious, according
to the police.
The victim also mentioned in the complaint that accused
Chiraag and his friend Harshith removed her clothes and captured
photos and videos when she was unconscious.
When she woke up later, the accused showed her the photos
and videos and demanded the ransom. The two threatened her
that they would upload the material on social media if the ransom
was not paid. "I have given the accused Rs 5 lakhs. In spite
of that, they have blackmailed me and locked me up in a hotel
room and threatening me to give more money," she said in the
complaint. The police are investigating the case.
16 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Sonia slams Congress leaders for speaking to media
New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS)
Addressing the Congress Working
Committee (CWC) meeting, interim
President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday
slammed party leaders for speaking to
the media.
In her opening remarks, she said: "I
have always appreciated frankness.
There is no need to speak to me
through the media. So let us all have a
free and honest discussion. But what
should get communicated outside the
four walls of this room is the collective
decision of the CWC."
Sonia Gandhi's statement comes
after after senior party leader Kapil
Sibal had recently said that "there is
no president in our party, so we do not
know who is taking all the decisions.
We know it, yet we don't know, one of
my senior colleagues perhaps has
written or is about to write to the interim
president to immediately convene a
CWC meeting so that a dialogue can
be initiated".
In her remarks on Saturday, she
also said the party is ready for the
internal elections. "The entire organisation
wants a revival of the Congress.
But this requires unity and keeping the
party's interests paramount. Above all,
it requires self-control and discipline. I
am acutely conscious of the fact that I
have been interim Congress President
ever since the CWC asked me to
return in this capacity in 2019. We had
thereafter, you may recall, finalised a
roadmap for electing a regular
President by June 30, 2021."
But due to the second wave of
Covid-19 pandemic in the country,
this deadline was extended indefinitely
by the CWC in its meeting held on
May 10, she added.
"Today is the occasion for bringing
clarity once and for all. A schedule for
the full-fledged organisational elections
is before you."
She also praised young leaders for
taking over leadership role
"In the last two years, a large number
of our colleagues, particularly the
younger ones have taken on leadership
roles in taking party policies and programmes
to the people, whether it be
the agitation of farmers, provision of
relief during the pandemic, highlighting
issues of concern to youth and
women, atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis
Sonia counters G-23, says
'I'm full-time President'
New Delhi : Responding to queries by Congress dissenters over
who takes decisions in the party, Sonia Gandhi said on Saturday
that she was the "full-time and hands on Congress President".
"I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and hands on
Congress President," she said while addressing the Congress
Working Committee (CWC) meeting.
The Congress President was responding to questions raised by
a group of leaders led by Kapil Sibal over the party's decision
making process and apprehending that former President Rahul
Gandhi is taking all the decisions.
"You are aware that I have been taking them up with the Prime
Minister as have Dr. Manmohan Singh and Rahul ji. I have been
interacting with like-minded political parties regularly. We have
issued joint statements on national issues and coordinated our
strategy in Parliament as well," Sonia Gandhi said in her remarks
on Saturday.
In her opening address, she slammed the Congress leaders for
speaking to the media
"I have always appreciated frankness. There is no need to speak
to me through the media. So let us all have a free and honest discussion.
But what should get communicated outside the four walls
of this room is the collective decision of the CWC."
and minorities, price rise, and the
destruction of the public sector. Never
have we let issues of public importance
and concern go unaddressed."
Regarding the farmers protests, the
Congress interim President said: "The
shocking incidents at Lakhimpur
Kheri betrays the mindset of the BJP,
how it perceives the Kisan Andolan,
how it has been dealing with this
determined struggle by Kisans to protect
their lives and livelihoods.
She said that the economy continues
to be a cause of great concern in
spite of the government propaganda
and the only answer the Centre seems
to have for the country's economic
recovery is selling off national assets
Thiruvananthapuram : At least 8 people
are dead and five persons are reported
missing after heavy rains lashed Kerala
since Friday evening. A team of Army officials
attached to the Pangode Military
camp in the state capital have already left
to Kottayam district and is expected to
arrive shortly where a landslide took place
at Kootikal.
Two families comprising 12 people who
bore the major brunt, of which six people
have been declared dead, while four continue
to be missing. A car with two people
who were asked not to go forward near
Thodupuzha in Idukki district was swept
away by the gushing waters and a few
hours later the dead bodies were recovered
by the locals who swung into action.
Consequent to the rains the authorities
have issued a red alert in 6 districts while
another 6 districts are on orange alert and
two districts are under yellow alert, thereby
indicating that all the 14 districts in the
state are experiencing heavy rains.
Heavy rains have been lashing the state
starting Friday evening leaving roads at
several places flooded and normal traffic
affected at a number of places. The Indian
Meteorological Department has warned of
more rains on Sunday also. Chief Minister
Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday morning
issued an advisory that people have to be
extremely cautious and under no circumstances
should they ignore the warnings
built with great effort over the
decades. "The public sector has had
not just strategic and economic objectives,
it has had social goals as well,
as, for instance, empowerment of
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
and development of backward areas.
But all this is in jeopardy with the
Modi government's single-point agenda
of 'Becho, Becho, Becho'."
She said that prices of essential
commodities, including food and fuel
continue to rise unabated.
"Could anyone in the country ever
imagine that petrol prices would be
over 100 Rs rupees a litre, diesel
would be nearing the Rs 100 a litre
mark, a gas cylinder would cost Rs
that are given from time to time.
"A 24 hour alert has to be observed and
all those living close to water sources have
to be very cautious and none should venture
in the waters. Travel in the hilly areas
or places where rains are occurring should
be best avoided and areas prone to landslides
have also to be watchful," said
Vijayan. State Ministers have been asked to
coordinate with the various teams of the
Police, Fire Force and the Disaster
Management teams and have started their
900 and cooking oil would be Rs 200
a litre. This is making life unbearable
for people across the country."
Sonia Gandhi also condemned the
killings in Jammu and Kashmir and
said minorities clearly have been targeted.
"This must be condemned in the
strongest possible terms. We have
done so and I do so again this morning.
Jammu and Kashmir has been a
Union Territory for two years. The
entire responsibility for bringing the
perpetrators of these barbaric crimes
to justice is that of the Union government.
Restoring social peace and harmony
and confidence amongst the
people in Jammu and Kashmir rests
with the Modi government too.
"There has always been a broad
consensus on foreign and neighbourhood
policy in our country. But that
consensus has been damaged because
of the Prime Minister continued reluctance
to take the Opposition into confidence
in any meaningful manner.
Foreign policy has become a diabolical
instrument of electoral mobilisation
and polarisation. We face serious
challenges on our borders and on other
fronts. The Prime Minister telling the
opposition leaders last year that there
had not been any occupation of our
territory by China and his silence ever
since is costing our nation dearly," she
added.
The Congress faces many challenges
but, "if we are united, if we are
disciplined and if we focus on the
party's interests alone, I am confident
that we will do well".
8 dead, 4 missing as
heavy rains lash Kerala
work.
Later after chairing a meeting of top
officials, Vijayan said that all arrangements
are in place and none need to be worried as
various relief camps have been opened and
all facilities will be made available at the
camps. He also emphasised that the people
in the camps should be aware that Covid
protocols should be followed.
Meanwhile in areas where there are
heavy rains, tourist centres have been
asked to close down until further notice
and boating services have also been suspended.
At Pathanamthitta district, a car
was swept away by the rushing waters but
an alert auto-rickshaw driver, sensing the
danger, threw stones at the car which broke
the windshield allowing the driver to come
out through it who swam to safety.
Meanwhile, the saving grace is that the
rains appear to have slowed down and that
has come handy for those engaged in rescue
and relief operations.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 17
Unicef official warns of worsening situation in Afghanistan
United Nations : The already dire
situation faced by Afghan civilians
will get worse, and the humanitarian
needs of children and women will
increase over the coming months, a
Unicef official said.
"The situation is critical, and it will
only get worse," UNICEF Deputy
Executive Director Omar Abdi told
reporters at the UN Headquarters in
New York, adding that the humanitarian
needs will increase amidst "a
severe drought and consequent water
scarcity, an uncertain security environment,
continued displacement, the
devastating socio-economic consequences
of the Covid-19 pandemic
and the onset of winter".
Even before the Taliban takeover in
August, at least 10 million children
across the country were in need of
humanitarian assistance to survive,
Abdi said, and at least 1 million of
these children are at risk of dying due
to severe acute malnutrition without
immediate treatment, reports Xinhua
news agency.
The health system and social services
are on the verge of collapse, as
medical supplies are running dangerously
low, and cases of measles and
acute watery diarrhoea are on the rise,
Abdi said.
The economic system is also on the
verge of collapse, he added, noting
many teachers and health workers
have not been paid in at least two
months, and yet they continue to work.
The official also said that the education
gains of the past two decades
must be strengthened, not rolled back.
The number of children enrolled in
schools increased from 1 million in
2001, most of them boys, to almost 10
million children, including 4 million
girls, at present.
The number of schools tripled,
from 6,000 to 18,000. Despite this
progress, 4.2 million children are out
of school, including 2.6 million girls,
he noted.
The Unicef, the UN and humanitarian
partners are sparing no effort to
overcome financial shortfalls, logistical
challenges, and an increasingly
complex geopolitical situation to support
the millions of women, men and
children in Afghanistan who depend
on humanitarian assistance and protection,
the official added.
Educational Institutions, Morning Assemblies & Students
Continue Page 5
Morning assembly is an integral part of
the educational institutions. Almost all the
educational institutions conduct morning
assemblies which include prayers, information
of latest happenings, inspiring thoughts,
speech, national anthem, etc. A good institution
is always particular about their morning
assembly schedule. However, some parents,
as well as students, consider morning assemblies
as a total waste of time. In fact, few students
are always in a lookout to find excuses
to escape from the morning assembly. But,
morning assembly is important for a student's
development. It is essential to understand that
morning assembly is not just about standing
in long queues and singing prayers or national
anthem, but it’s something beyond just
prayers. All the activities carried out in morning
assembly by the students and school staff
have a great influence in every point of life.
The positive effects of attending assemblies
can be felt throughout life. During a morning
assembly, all the students of an educational
institution stand at the same place, as a part of
an institution regardless of their age, culture,
religion, gender, etc. A feeling of unity is
aroused by this act. This feeling of unity stays
forever in the student’s mind and it leads to a
happy society. The students get to know
about their institution and its achievements in
Social Education Voluntary
Association (SEVA) Trust UK, a
Bedford based charity supported by
SEVA Trust UK (India) who are working
for the betterment of education,
health and environment has opened a
new office and a free digital learning
centre in the state of Haryana in India.
On this occasion Naresh Mittal,
Chairman of SEVA Trust UK (India
Operations) and Deputy Chairman
Tejinderpal Singh that that Trust has
been undertaking most of its educational
projects in the state of Punjab and
now more projects will be delivered in
Haryana that can be managed from our
new local office.
The main objective of the trust is to
provide quality education to the needy
students from the rural areas so that talent
can be brought out from these
remote areas. Supported by Altruist
Technologies Pvt. Ltd, through this initiative
of free learning, students will be
given free onlinecoaching using the best
teaching staff and coaches.
a better way because of the discussions that
are conducted by teachers and
students during the assembly.
The headmaster or the principal
addresses all the students and
give valuable moral teachings
for life. This speech of principal
is the thing that can change
the perspective of students.
Each and every word of this
speech is the reflection of the
experience and values. When
students endure these experiences,
it helps them to lead a
successful life. This morning
speech/address from the principal
acts as a strong pillar in
the moral development of students.
Morning assemblies
also consist of news report reading or
thoughts delivering. Some institutions also
encourage the students to showcase small
play delivering some meaningful lesson. All
these activities, give a chance to every student
to be a part of activities. In this way,
confidence is built in the students. Morning
assembly is the best platform to encourage
the students who have achieved something in
academics or extra-curricular activities.
When the achievers are awarded in front of
Naresh Mittal said that to date SEVA
Trusthas already provided scholarships,
educational equipment to over 500
HARPREET
SINGH BRAR
everyone, they feel encouraged. This encouragement
gives them the enthusiasm
to achieve more.
Furthermore, it inspires other students
to perform better in order to
become one of the achievers.
These morning assemblies are a
good idea for discussing the problems
faced by the students or discussing
any activity happening in
the institution that can lead to a
bad effect on a student’s life. For
instance, the act of indiscipline or
immoral behaviour by some students
can be discussed so that it
can be prevented. Student as a
whole understands the problems
and try to find out the solution.
This instills discipline in them.
Thus, morning assembly is a crucial part of
educational teachings.
At the end I suggest that an educational
institute must have a well-planned morning
assembly accompanied with morning prayer,
national anthem, speech, news, the thought of
the day, acknowledgment of achievers and
address by the institution's authorities. Every
day it is necessary to inspire our students
with life teachings that facilitate their mental
and spiritual development.
Fadnavis: MVA govt 'most corrupt',
betrayed public mandate in 2019
The parties like Congress are scared because PM Narendra Modiji
will not rest till he uproots corruption in the country," Fadnavis
asserted. Alleging that massive 'dalali' (middlemen deals) are going
on, Fadnavis declared that as long as corruption exists in the state,
the central agencies would keep coming here.
The BJP leader also alleged that the MVA ministers are having
a 'software' for indulging in 'vasuli' (extortion), and other
corrupt activities are going on in full swing in the state. On the
CM's call to his party workers to "learn from West Bengal",
Fadnavis asked whether the CM wanted to make Maharashtra a
"lawless state" like West Bengal, and said the BJP would fight it
tooth-and-nail. Slamming the CM's challenge to the BJP to
"topple the MVA government", Fadnavis said that the CM was
speaking only out of 'sheer frustration', and claimed the BJP is
not interested in bringing down the government which would
collapse on its own.
Rejecting Thackeray's charges, Fadnavis reiterated that the Shiv
Sena had betrayed the people's mandate in the 2019 assembly elections
by allying with the Nationalist Congress Party-Congress to
form the MVA government, in the name of fulfilling the promise
made to the late Balasaheb Thackeray to have a Shiv Sainik as the
CM. "If you were so keen to make a Sainik the CM, then why did
you bypass all other senior leaders in your party? It was always your
personal ambition to become the CM - nothing wrong in this - but at
least drop this mask now," Fadnavis said. The BJP leader's response
came to Thackeray's thunderous speech at the Shiv Sena's annual
Dassehra rally held in Shanmukhananda Hall.
Bedford charity joins forces with Indian Charities and Private
Sector to offer free digital learning to disadvantaged students
needy children in the last 4 years. "We
have supported many rural schools
including setting up a solar plant, providingfree
tablets, projectors and other
e-equipment to students and rural
schools. Apart from this, the Trust also
organises health, environmental, social
awareness programs and supporting
local communities from low income
backgrounds" said Mittal.
Founder Chairman of SEVA Trust
UK Charan Sekhon, said "We have supported
over 700 students and over 300
families in the UK facing hardships during
Corona pandemic.Now we have set
up a new project in Bedford to support
people fleeing from Afghanistan. In
addition to all the community support
work SEVA Trust teams are doing in the
UK, we are trying to play our sincere
part in serving communities in India and
set up SEVA Trust India Team. We not
have a really strong team working in
India. This new office and digitallearning
centre is another positive stepto
reach out more students and needy people
in north India. We feel it is important
to support the youth, girls empowerment
and developing technical skills at
the early education stage to ensure a
prosper future for the youth from disadvantaged
families''
18 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
US DFC COO to visit India to
boost global health investments
New Delhi : David Marchick, Chief
Operating Officer (COO) of the US
International Development Finance
Corporation (DFC), will travel to India to
advance its investments helping boost
global health and expand Covid-19 vaccine
production capacity throughout the
developing world. Marchick, along with a
delegation, will arrive in India on October
24.
The delegation will visit the office of
Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer
'Biological E' and sign a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the pharma
major to open a new facility with substantial
capacity for vaccine manufacturing.
Amaravati : Dozens of people were
injured in the violence during traditional
fight with sticks during Dasara celebrations
in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district.
Hundreds of villagers of divided in two
rival groups attacked each other with sticks
during Banni festival at Devaragattu village
in Holagonda mandal late Friday
night. Police said more than 40 people
were injured in the clashes but unconfirmed
reports have put the number at 100.
The proposed MoU is in support of the
historic commitment set out by US
President Joe Biden and the three leaders
of the Quad countries, namely Australia,
India and Japan.
The DFC's support is projected to facilitate
capacity expansion to produce nearly
two billion Covid-19 vaccine doses across
the globe by end of 2022 with more projects
in the pipeline.
The agency is also working on expanding
access to critical therapeutics and
introducing medical equipment designed
for low-resource environments under
DFC's global health and prosperity initiative.
Hectic campaign on for bypolls
to 5 Assam Assembly seats
Guwahati : With Durga
Puja festivities now over, the
campaign for the October 30
by-elections to five Assembly
didates in Gossaigaon and
Bhabanipur.
The Communist Party of
India, which was also an ally of
seats in Assam gathered
the 'Mahajot', has fielded one
momentum on Saturday.
Though there are 31 candidates
in the fray for the five
seats, the main contest is
between the ruling BJP-led
candidate in Thowra -- Krishna
Gogoi. Various other local parties
have put up nominees
while there are 12 Independent
candidates in the electoral race.
alliance and the main opposition
The by-elections were
Congress.
necessitated due to the Covid-
The BJP has fielded
related deaths of two sitting
Phanidhar Talukdar in
MLAs, while two Congress and
Bhabanipur, Rupjyoti Kurmi in
one AIUDF legislator joined
Mariani and Sushanta
the BJP after quitting their
Borgohain in Thowra, while its
Assembly membership.
ally United People's Party were elected in the March- Mariani and Manoranjan Union minister and former
Liberal (UPPL) has fielded April Assembly polls, but all Konwar in Thowra.
Assam Chief Minister
Jiron Basumatary and Jolen the three recently joined the The AIUDF and the Sarbananda Sonowal had
Daimary in Gossaigaon and BJP after quitting their membership
of the Assembly. of which contested the March- recent election to the Rajya
Bodoland People's Front, both vacated his Majuli seat after his
Tamulpur, respectively.
Talukdar, a former leader of The Congress has fielded April Assembly elections as Sabha, but the Election
the Muslim dominated All Jowel Tudu in Gossaigaon, partners of the Congress-led Commission is yet to announce
India United Democratic Front Sailendra Nath Das in 10-party 'Mahajot' (grand the by-election to the seat.
(AIUDF), and ex-Congress Bhabanipur, Bhaskar Dahal in alliance) before breaking the The counting of votes will
leaders Kurmi and Borgohain Tamulpur, Luhit Konwar in ties recently, have fielded can-
take place on November 2.
Dozens injured during traditional stick fighting in Andhra
The injured were admitted to hospitals at
Adoni and Alur. The condition of four of
them is stated to be critical. A police officer
said the violence broke out during the traditional
fight on a hillock at Mala
Malleshwaraswamy temple. Though large
number of policemen were deployed to
prevent the fight, villagers defied the
orders to organise the fight.
As part of the annual celebrations, people
from different villages divide in two
groups to fight with sticks to secure the
idols of the deity. Villagers from Neraniki,
Neraniki Tanda and Kottapeta villages
fight with devotees of Arikera, Arikera
Tanda, Suluvai, Ellarthi, Kurukunda,
Bilehall and Virupapuram.
Legend has it that Lord Shiva took the
form of Bhairava and clobbered two
demons, Mani and Mallasura, with sticks.
The villagers enact the scene on
Vijayadashami day. Group of villagers
from demons' side try to snatch the idols
from the other group, called God's team.
They fight with sticks for the idols.
Thousands of people from various parts of
Kurnool and surrounding districts and even
neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka
gather at the village to watch the traditional
ritual, a part of Dasara celebrations.
The fight results in injuries to several
people every year but devotees consider
these injuries as a good omen. Authorities
conduct awareness programmes every year
to dissuade villagers and even impose prohibitory
orders but they defy the orders on
the ground that the fight is part of their tradition.
Rights activist sues Twitter for
sharing his info with Saudi govt
San Francisco : Twitter has been sued by a human rights
activist for alleging accessing his personal information and sharing
it with the Saudi Arabia government.
In his lawsuit, Ali Al-Ahmed, head of the human rights advocacy
organization Institute for Gulf Affairs, claimed that Twitter
did not have the right to disclose or share his private information
under its own privacy policy and should have done more to protect
his information.
"He names two men in the suit who were indicted last year by
federal prosecutors for working as agents of the Saudi government
while working for Twitter several years ago," the report said on
Friday. The micro-blogging platform was yet to react to the report.
Al-Ahmed claimed that his Twitter account was suspended in
2018 without explanation and was yet to be reinstated despite
repeated appeals.
"While Twitter may wish to play the victim of state-sponsored
espionage, Twitter's conduct in punishing the victims of this
intrigue, including Mr. Al-Ahmed, tells a far different story: one of
ratification, complicity, and/or adoption tailored to appease a
neigh beneficial owner and preserve access to a key market, the
[Kingdom of Saudi Arabia]," the complaint read.
The complaint argued that Twitter should have done more to
protect his information.
3 held in Chennai for smuggling
in gold, electronic goods
Chennai : Three passengers
were arrested on
Friday by the Chennai Air
Customs for trying to
smuggle in gold and electronic
goods. According to
a statement issued by the
Customs, the passengers
arrived from Dubai and
Sharjah by different flights
on Friday. On personal
search, 10 bundles of gold in paste form were found concealed in
their rectum, on extraction of which five gold ingots totally weighing
2.55 kg worth Rs 1.12 crore were recovered. Electronic goods
worth Rs 4.7 lakh were also seized under the Customs Act, 1962.
Non-local street vendor killed
by militants in Srinagar
Srinagar : A non-local street vendor was shot and killed by
militants on Saturday in the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir.
Police sources said a non-local street vendor was shot and critically
injured by militants near the Eidgah park in Srinagar city.
"He was shifted to hospital for treatment where doctors said he
was dead on arrival. The area has been surrounded for searches",
sources said.
Reports say the street vendor has been identified as Arvind
Kumar of Bihar.
Militants had killed a school principal and a teacher in a government
higher secondary school in the same area on October 7.
Two days before that, militants had killed a famous pharmacy
owner, M.L. Bindroo, a Bihari street vendor and a taxi driver in a
series of attacks on civilians.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
19
Gandhi in a New Avatar : Advisor
to Savarkar on Mercy petitions
The Indian Express, 13 October
2021, tells us that Shri Rajnath Singh,
the Indian Defence Minister, has
claimed that “A lot of falsehood was
spread against Savarkar. It was repeatedly
said that he filed multiple mercy
petitions before the British government.
The truth is he did not file these petitions
for his release. Generally, a prisoner
has the right to file a mercy petition.
Mahatma Gandhi had asked that you
file a mercy petition. It was on Gandhi’s
suggestion that he filed a mercy petition.
And Mahatma Gandhi had
appealed that Savarkar ji should be
released. He had said the way we are
running movement for freedom peacefully,
so would Savarkar.”. He also said
that “You can have differences of opinion,
but to see him condescendingly is
not right. The act of demeaning his
national contribution will not be tolerated”.
(Note the threat. Setting up Godse
temples and hero-worshipping him can
be tolerated but no criticism of
Savarkar!)
What are the facts?
Rajnath Singh’s statement is presumably
based on documents pertaining to
the year 1920: a letter from ND
Savarkar, brother of VD Savarkar and
Ganesh Savarkar, to Gandhiji,
Gandhiji’s reply, and an article in Young
India by Gandhiji.
The facts are somewhat at variance
with the claim made by Rajnath Singh.
The first mercy petition was filed nine
years earlier by Vinayak Damodar
Savarkar in 1911 itself, within six
months of his conviction, and numerous
other petitions followed in subsequent
years, without any evidence or claim of
it being at Gandhiji’s suggestion! To
quote from one such petition, submitted
personally to the Home Member, Sir
Reginald Craddock, when he visited the
Andamans jail in 1913, for his release,
offering to be loyal to the British
Government:
“If the Government in their manifold
beneficence and mercy release me, I for
one cannot but be the strongest advocate
of constitutional progress and loyalty to
the English government which is the
foremost condition of that progress. I
am ready to serve the Government in
any capacity they like, for as my conversion
is conscientious so I hope my
future conduct would be. The Mighty
alone can afford to be merciful and
therefore where else can the prodigal
son return but to the parental doors of
the Government?”
Further, as testified by GS Khoparde,
a Savarkar supporter’s question in the
Imperial Legislative Council on March
22, 1920, “Mr Savarkar and his brother
had once in 1915 and at another time in
1918 submitted petitions to Government
stating that they would, during the continuance
of war, serve the Empire by
enlisting in the Army, if released, and
would, after the passing of the Reforms
Bill, try to make the Act a success and
would stand by law and order". In his
reply, the Home Member, Sir William
Vincent, confirmed that: "Two petitions
were received from Vinayak Damodar
Savarkar - one in 1914 and another in
1917, through the Superintendent, Port
Blair. In the former, he offered his services
to the Government during the war
in any capacity and prayed that a general
amnesty be granted to all political
prisoners. The second petition was confined
to the latter proposal”.
Thus, it is very clear that Savarkar
had submitted numerous petitions
between 1911 and 1920, without any
advice or prompting from Gandhi,.
offering loyalty to the British government,
and expressing his willingness to
serve them in any capacity. Therefore
the Defence Minister’s statement that
Savarkar did not file mercy petitions but
did so only on the advice of the
Mahatma is not borne out by the actual
historical record.
So where does Gandhiji come into
the story? Only in 1920, when N D
Savarkar, the younger brother of the two
Savarkar brothers who were in jail,
wrote to Gandhiji seeking his advice
when he found that the list of prisoners
being released under the Royal
Proclamation of Clemency by the
British did not include the names of the
brothers. Gandhiji replied saying it was
difficult to give advice but suggested
that he might draft a brief petition. In
addition, he wrote an article in Young
India on 26 May 1920, titled Savarkar
Brothers, where he refers to the Royal
Proclamation of Clemency and notes
that while many other political prisoners
had been released under this but the
Savarkar brothers were not.
He says “Both the brothers have
declared their political opinions and
both have stated that they do not entertain
any revolutionary ideas and that if
they were set free they would like to
work under the Reform Act…”
(Government of India Act of 1919)
“They both state unequivocally that
they do not desire independence from
the British connection. On the contrary,
they feel that India’s destiny can be best
worked out in association with the
British.”
It is to be noted that nowhere in
Gandhiji’s article is there an appeal for
Savarkar’s release, as stated by the
Defence minister. “Mahatma Gandhi
had appealed that Savarkar ji should be
released.” Gandhiji questions the government
decision not to release them as
they appear to pose no danger to “public
safety” or “danger to the state”, but
does not appeal to the British. Nor does
Gandhiji anywhere say in his article, as
claimed by the Defence Minister, that
“the way we are running movement for
freedom peacefully, so would
Savarkar.” On the contrary, Gandhiji is
emphasizing that the Savarkar brothers
do not want independence, and want to
work under the Reform Act.
There is a strange irony in this entire
episode. That Mahatma Gandhi is being
roped in to establish Savarkar’s nationalist
credentials, that too on such flimsy
grounds! The attempt is to create a picture
in the public mind that Gandhiji
and Savarkar had a close relationship, to
the extent that the latter took Gandhiji’s
advice on such crucial issues as mercy
petitions and that Gandhiji appealed for
his release. It is a clear attempt to try
and normalise Savarkar’s begging for
mercy when numerous other nationalists
refused to do so and Gandhiji even
demanded the severest punishment for
himself.
What are the facts, which we are
expected to forget?
In January 1948, when Gandhi was
assassinated, Savarkar was arrested as
he was suspected of being the mastermind
behind the conspiracy. Sardar
Patel, who was overseeing the whole
case as the Home Minister, being a fine
criminal lawyer, was personally convinced
of Savarkar’s guilt, otherwise, he
would not have agreed to put him up for
trial. He told the Prime Minister,
Jawaharlal Nehru, in unambiguous
terms, ‘It was a fanatical wing of the
Hindu Mahasabha directly under
Savarkar that [hatched] the conspiracy
and saw it through'. (Durga Das, Sardar
Patel Correspondence, 1945–50, Vol.
VI, p. 56.)
In response to the Hindu
Mahasabha’s disclaimer, Patel wrote to
Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, the Hindu
Mahasabha leader, on 6 May 1948:
“…we cannot shut our eyes to the
fact that an appreciable
number of the members of
the Mahasabha gloated
over the tragedy and distributed
sweets….
Further, militant communalism,
which was
preached until only a few months ago
by many spokesmen of the Mahasabha,
including men like Mahant Digbijoy
Nath, Prof. Ram Singh and Deshpande,
could not but be regarded as a danger to
public security. The same would apply
to the RSS, with the additional danger
inherent in an organization run in secret
on military or semi-military lines.”
(Sardar Patel Correspondence, Vol. VI,
p. 66.)
Patel further pointed out to Shyama
Prasad Mookerjee, ‘The activities of the
RSS constituted a clear threat to the
existence of Government and the state’.
(18 July 1948, Sardar Patel
Correspondence, Vol. 6, p. 323.)
The Chief Minister of Bombay, B.G.
Kher, explained the political situation in
Maharashtra to Patel, ‘The atmosphere
of hatred against the Congress and
Mahatma sought to be created by the
Hindu Mahasabha culminated in the
assassination of Mahatma Gandhi at the
hands of a few Maharashtrians’. { B.G.
Kher to Patel, 26 May 1948, ibid., Vol.
VI, pp. 77–78.)
Savarkar was eventually not convicted
in the Gandhi Murder Trial due to a
technical point of criminal law: for lack
of independent evidence to corroborate
the testimony of the approver.
However, the Commission of Inquiry
set up in 1965 under Justice Jiwan Lal
Kapoor, a former judge of the Supreme
Court of India, got access to a lot of evidence
that was not available to the trial
judge. Two of Savarkar’s close associates,
A.P. Kasar and G.V. Damle, who
had not testified at the trial, spoke up
before the Kapur Commission, now that
Savarkar was dead, and corroborated
the approver’s statements. It is possible
that If they had testified at the trial,
Savarkar would have been proven
guilty. In fact, the Kapur Commission
came to a conclusion very similar to that
of Sardar Patel: ‘All these facts taken
Mridula Mukherjee
Aditya Mukherjee
Sucheta Mahajan
together were destructive of any theory
other than the conspiracy to murder by
Savarkar and his group’.( Report of
Commission of Inquiry into Conspiracy
to Murder Mahatma Gandhi, 1970,
p.303, para 25.106.)
Immediately after Gandhiji’s assassination,
the Government of India, with
Sardar Patel as Deputy Prime Minister
and Home Minister, banned the RSS
and put some 25,000 of its members in
jail. The Hindu Mahasabha chose to
dissolve itself when confronted with a
ban. Tainted by its link with Gandhiji’s
murder, the Hindu Mahasabha beat a
tactical retreat and Shyama Prasad
Mookerjee, its main leader, founded the
Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1951. This was
to be the main political vehicle of Hindu
communal articulation from then
onwards, its frontline political party, till
it merged into the Janata Party after the
Emergency and then was replaced by
the BJP.
It is indeed ironic that the political
forces who lay claim to being the most
ardent nationalists today
played no role at all
when the actual struggle
for India’s freedom was
being fought. Savarkar,
after his release from
prison in 1924, never
took part in any anti-British politics. In
fact, he was the originator of the theory
of Hindutva, which defined authentic
Indians as those whose fatherland and
holy lands, pitribhumi and punyabhumi
, were in India, thereby excluding
Muslims and Christians, whose holy
lands were outside India, from the fold.
The Hindu Mahasabha also became
increasingly loyalist in the 1930s and
1940s. Though the loyalist tendency
was there earlier, initially some of its
leaders participated in Congress-led
movements. But from 1937 onwards,
when Savarkar became the President
and undisputed leader, they joined the
Muslim League in competing for the
crumbs thrown from the Imperial table.
The outbreak of the Second World War
brought the differences with the nationalist
forces out into the open. While the
Congress provincial ministries resigned
in protest against the British
Government’s decision to make India a
party to the War without her consent,
Hindu Mahasabha leaders offered cooperation
to the British, and advocated that
Indians participate in the war-effort and
join the Army. Savarkar, as President of
the Mahasabha, appealed to Hindus ‘to
participate in all war-efforts of the
British Government’ and not to listen to
“some fools” who “condemn” this policy
‘as cooperation with Imperialism’.(
Savarkar, Hindu Rashtra Darshan, pp.
203ff.)
In private, Savarkar told the Viceroy
in October 1939 that the Hindus and the
British should be friends and made an
offer that the Hindu Mahasabha would
replace the Congress if the Congress
ministries resigned from office.(
Linlithgow, Viceroy, to Zetland,
Secretary of State, 7 October 1939,
Zetland Papers, Volume 18, Reel No.
6.)
In accordance with this pro-British
policy, when the Quit India movement
was going on in 1942, and the entire
nationalist Congress leadership including
Gandhiji was in jail, Shyama Prasad
Mookerjee of the Hindu Mahasabha
was a minister in the Fazlul Haq
Ministry in Bengal. The Hindu
Mahasabha also formed coalition governments
with the Muslim League in
Sind and the NWFP. It is another matter
that all this loyalism could not get them
electoral success and they suffered a
rout in the 1946 elections!
The RSS too, as an organisation did
not participate in any of the major battles
for freedom from colonial rule. The
RSS was founded in 1925, and apart
from the Simon Commission Boycott in
1928, at least two major movements, the
Civil Disobedience Movement of
1930–34 and the Quit India Movement
of 1942 were launched by the Congress
after that date. In none of these did the
RSS play any part. Hedgewar, the
founder of the RSS did go to jail in his
individual capacity in 1930, but he kept
the organisation and its members away
from the Civil Disobedience movement.
The government was very clear that it
had nothing to fear from the RSS. A
Home Department note on the RSS
reported that, ‘At meetings of the Sangh
during the Congress disturbances
(1942), speakers urged the members to
keep aloof from the Congress movement
and these instructions were generally
observed’.
It is of course legitimate to ask why
there was a silence on Savarkar in the
RSS and Jan Sangh-BJP camp for over
four or five decades after Gandhiji’s
murder. Was it because it was politically
suicidal to mention Savarkar as he
was associated in the public mind with
Gandhiji’s murder, and now that much
time had lapsed, it could be assumed
that public memory was short and
Savarkar could now be resurrected?
Also, with the new public emphasis on
‘Hindutva’ as part of the new aggressive
phase, it was difficult to ignore the original
creator of the concept. Further, for a
party claiming to be ‘nationalist,’ it is a
little embarrassing not to have any freedom
fighters to show. Therefore, in a
desperate effort to discover nationalist
icons, Savarkar was sought to be cast in
that mould.
A nationalist veil is drawn over
Savarkar’s communalism by remembering
him as Krantiveer, the Andamans
revolutionary. That Savarkar shamed
the revolutionaries by repeatedly asking
for pardon in the Andamans and that he
never took part in any nationalist activity
after his release as he had promised to
the British government, was sought to
be forgotten. And in 2003, when the
BJP-led NDA government was in
power, despite considerable opposition,
Savarkar’s portrait was installed in the
parliament. One would imagine that
even if there is a whiff of suspicion
about Savarkar this should not have
happened. And now the latest: an effort
to legitimize Savarkar by normalizing
his embarassing mercy petitions as
being sanctioned by the Mahatma! The
aim is also to project a close and friendly
relationship between the two, and
thus hide the fact that they had nothing
in common. See on Page 20
20 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Aus island state enters
snap lockdown
Hobart : Parts of Australia's island state of Tasmania entered
a three-day snap lockdown and the next 48 hours remain critical,
Premier Peter
Gutwein announced
on Saturday.
Under the restrictions,
residents in
the southern parts of
the state including
capital city Hobart,
must stay at home
unless very limited
reasons such as
shopping for urgent
household supplies
within 5 km of
home -- only one
person from a
household at any
one time, attending
medical or health
care appointments,
being a permitted
worker, or caring
for a vulnerable person or for other compassionate reasons,
reports Xinhua news agency.
Addressing the media, Gutwein said the aim of the authorities
is to make the lockdown "short and sharp", and committed
grants to support low income, casual and self-employed workers
who have lost income due to an inability to work.
The snap lockdown on Friday night came after a Covid-positive
traveller from the state of New South Wales entered
Tasmania without valid border pass and breached the hotel quarantine
rules.
Gutwein said he asked Tasmania Police to "consider all
avenues" for increasing the punishment on the man who has
been fined A$3,000 ($2,225) for the breaches.
"I have expressed to Tasmania Police that the sum of the fine
that this individual has received at the moment simply doesn't
appear to be in line with the crime," Gutwein said.
"This is a breach that has brought southern Tasmania to a
standstill and I have requested that they consider what other
action can be taken against this person."
Energy Crisis: China's loss is Indian
steel, chemical industries gain
New Delhi : China's energy
crisis is expected to give
cost and production advantage
to India's chemicals and
steel companies in domestic
as well as international markets.
Notably, China's worsening
energy situation has
impacted its industrial segments
and forced factories to
cut production.
It is also threatening to
impact the growth of the
country's vast economy and
place increased strain on
global supply chains.
Globally, the increased
coal prices, high logistics
costs and logistical challenges
have led to a rise in
raw materials costs across sectors.
"However, the order books of Indian manufacturers
would witness growth on
account of lower supply by Chinese counterparts,"
said India Ratings and Research
(Ind-Ra).
"Moreover, the increase in raw material
prices has led to a rise in the prices of the
exported goods, and the resultant adverse
impact on the terms of trade (export price
to the input price) is one of the reasons for
dollar strengthening against the rupee."
As per the report, the weakened rupee
coupled with China's production crunch
will give a boost to Indian exports.
"However, the increased coal prices
have pushed up manufacturing costs globally,
and the agency believes producers
across sectors will pass the increased costs
to the end-user industries, thereby leading
to inflationary pressures, which could
eventually trickle into the Indian economy
as well." According to the report, China's
energy crisis and resultant likelihood of
shutting down of Chinese companies or
intermittent curbs on manufacturing would
prove advantageous to Indian companies,
as the demand for their products is bound
Unesco commends Cambodia's
commitment to strengthen
urban heritage preservation
to rise in both domestic and international
markets.
"Furthermore, the agency opines that
the domestic end-user industries for chemicals,
such as dyes and pigments, pharmaceuticals,
agrochemicals and others, will
pass on the overall increase in costs to consumers,
thereby maintaining their profitability."
On the steel sector, the agency
said the fall in China's steel output and
India's imports of intermediate steel products
would benefit Indian steel players by
way of lower import risks and greater
export opportunities.
Phnom Penh : The Unesco
has highly appreciated
Cambodia's commitment to
strengthen urban heritage
preservation.
"Urban heritage, including
its tangible and intangible
components, constitutes a key
resource in enhancing the liveability
and resilience of urban
areas, and fosters economic
development and social cohesion
in a changing environment,"
the UN agency said in
statement on Friday.
The commendation came
after Prime Minister Hun Sen
on Tuesday issued a circular
on preventing the demolition
and destruction of heritage
buildings in the kingdom, aiming
at promoting heritage conservation
and sustainable
development.
In line with the Law on the
Protection of Cultural Heritage
promulgated in 1996, the circular
was designed to preserve urban heritage
buildings, including religious, public
and private buildings, habitats and ancient
houses.
It also set out recommendations to prevent
destruction and any form of modification,
alternation or damage to the appearance
of urban heritage buildings.
"Cambodia has a long-standing record
for its efforts on cultural conservation, and
this circular will further strengthen the balance
between urban growth and sustainable
development, and reaffirm Cambodia's
commitment to Sustainable Development
Goal 11, highlighting the importance of
cultural and natural heritage for making
safe and resilient cities," the Unesco said.
"The circular will also promote the universal
respect for cultural rights for all
through the restoration and preservation of
cultural heritage," it added.
The Southeast Asian nation has rich cultural
heritage with three Unesco World
Heritage Sites -- Angkor Archeological
Park, the Temple of Preah Vihear, and the
Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk.
The Agency said it has been working
closely with Cambodia's relevant authorities
to promote the conservation of these
sites, and it will continue to provide technical
assistance to the government and stakeholders
for the preservation of cultural and
urban heritage.
Continue Page 19
Gandhi in a New Avatar : Advisor to Savarkar...
Savarkar as the ideologue of Hindutva and leader of the Hindu
Mahasabha was a consistent and vehement critic of Gandhiji, especially
of his non-violence and inclusive attitude towards the Muslims.
There could not be a sharper contrast between their formulations of
who India belongs to. Savarkar clearly says that “India must be a
Hindu land, reserved for the Hindus”. He unambiguously asserts that
Hindus should be “masters in our own house, Hindusthan, the land of
the Hindus”. (Hindu Rashtra Darshan, pp 92, 63). Gandhiji, on the
other hand, in his famous speech in Bombay in August 1942 where
he gave the call for ‘Quit India’, declared unequivocally: “Those
Hindus who, like Dr. Moonje and Shri Savarkar, believe in the doctrine
of the sword may seek to keep the Mussalmans under Hindu
domination. I do not represent that section. I represent the Congress.
The Congress does not believe in the domination of any group or any
community. It believes in democracy which includes in its orbit
Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Jews—every one of the communities
inhabiting this vast country….Millions of Mussalmans in
this country come from Hindu stock. How can their homeland be any
other than India?”
One cannot help thinking what a contrast there is between
Savarkar and his men, and revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh who
prided themselves on never asking for clemency, choosing to suffer
all punishment, including death. In fact from the very early days
Indian nationalists had evolved the practice of bravely accepting
responsibility for committing anti-British acts, face trials, using the
trials for further propagation of nationalist goals and then willingly
accept imprisonment, exile or even death as punishment.
It is pertinent to note that Savarkar’s habit of petitioning the government
for release from internment and making offers of good
behaviour did not end with his release from British jails in 1924.
Within three weeks of his arrest in connection with Gandhiji’s murder,
on 22 February 1948, he made a representation to the Police
Commissioner from Arthur Road Prison expressing his ‘willingness
to give an undertaking to the Government that refrain from taking
part in any communal or political public activity for any period the
Government may require in case I am released on that condition’.
Even the most brilliant advocate would find it difficult to prove that
this too was on Gandhiji’s advice, unless of course so strong was the
bond between the two that the atheist Savarkar could claim communion
with Gandhiji’s spirit!
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
New Delhi : First the Taliban
destroyed the iconic 6th-century
Buddha statues in 2001, triggering outrage
across the globe. But now, with
international recognition nowhere in
sight, the Taliban now say they have
become saviours of Buddhist relics, that
would bring tourists to Bamiyan, the
province that is separated from the rest
of Afghanistan by the famous Salang
pass.
"As an Islamic Emirate’s official in
Bamiyan, I am trying my best to preserve
these priceless and historical monuments
of our province. Local and foreign
tourists can visit Bamiyan’s historical
sites and Buddhas," Mawlawi Saiful-Rahman
Mohammadi, Head of
Bamiyan’s Information and Culture
Directorate told the state-run Ariana
news.
But then, why did the Taliban destroy
the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001.
Mohammadi justifies the previous
decision saying that they destroyed the
Buddhas based on religious ideology in
2001.
"The Islamic Emirate did not make a
hasty decision at that time [2001], it was
reviewed and researched based on
Islamic laws and then they destroyed
them," he said.
The 2001 destruction in Bamiyan is,
by far, the most spectacular attack
against the historical and cultural heritage
of Afghanistan ever committed
during the recent period of turmoil the
country has passed through-a period
that began with the Communist Coup of
NEWS
April 1978.
Ironically, Mullah Hasan Akhund,
who executed the order of the founder
of the Taliban- Mullah Omar, is now the
Prime Minister of the new Taliban government.
The same man is now promising
to safeguard all ancient heritage of
Afghanistan. During the fight for Kabul,
which ended on August 15, the group
had asked their fighters to "robustly protect,
monitor and preserve" relics, halt
illegal digs, and safeguard "all historic
sites." They have forbidden selling of
artefacts in the art market. Their statement
said: "No one should try to disturb
such sites or think about using them for
profit."
At the crossroads of Chinese, Indian,
and European civilizations, Afghanistan
was once better known for its wealth of
cultural history stretching back 3,000
years. Afghanistan is the destination
from where Buddhism spread to China,
and it is this hallowed ground,
Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Judaism,
and Hinduism flourished, both before
and after the advent of Islam in the 7th
Century AD.
In addition to the Buddhas of
Bamiyan, the entire Bamiyan Valley is
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
Once destroyers of Bamiyan Buddhas, brazen Taliban
now want to protect relics in the province
A Proud Moment: Faculty
Dr. Jagbir Singh has been appointed
Professor in Delhi University
It is a proud moment for Dr. Jagbir Singh and his family when he is appointed as
full Professor in University of Delhi. Internationally recognized
expert Prof. Jagbir Singh is teaching Geography
at Swami Shraddhanand College in the Department of
Geography. Previously, he worked as Professor cum
Director on Deputation basis in Haryana Government
(India), University of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Chair
for Sustainable Development, Sonepat, and Haryana.
Prof. Jagbir Singh has specialization in Disaster
Management; Environment and Sustainable
Development & Spatial Information Technology .Prof.
Singh is the first Indian Research Scientist to complete a
Ph.D. on Ecological and Environmental Threats to the
Great Barrier Reef, Australia. He has also completed his MBA degree in Disaster
Management from IP Govt. University, New Delhi, India. Prof. Jagbir Singh has
completed three months course on Religion, Conflict and Peace from Harvard
University, USA and three months course on Community Based Disaster Risk
Management organized by World Bank. Prof. Jagbir Singh delivered a guest lecture
at Indiana State University, USA in 2012. He presented his paper at the International
Conference, held at Philadelphia, Winder University, USA. His book on Disaster
Management: A Data Analysis Approach was released by Her Excellency, the Head
of UN DRR, and Switzerland.
Prof. Jagbir Singh has convened thirty International Conferences-cum-workshops
and fifty National Conferences and workshops related to Disaster Management,
Environment and Sustainable Development. He has written fifteen research papers
in International and National Journals and ten books including Disaster
Management, Tsunami Disaster, Environment and Development and his new book
on Mass Disasters & Crisis Management Skills is under progress. Prof. Jagbir Singh
has visited USA, Canada, France, Australia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia,
Singapore, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Nepal, Fiji,
Bangladesh, and Switzerland. Being a member of International Association of
Hydrological sciences, Canada, Prof. Jagbir Singh contribution into this field is
commendable. Prof. Jagbir Singh is a great philanthropist. He has been engaged with
charitable foundations thereby helping the poor and needy people in India.
-Dr. Rahul Kumar,
Senior Correspondent, the Asian Independent, UK-
Gunshots during
army search
operation in
J&K's Poonch
Jammu : Gunshots were heard
on Thursday during the search and
cordon operation started by the
army in Surankote area of J&K’s
Poonch district, police said. Police
sources said the army started a cordon
and search operation involving
several villages adjacent to Dhera
Ki Gali in Surankote area.
"Gunshots were heard as the
cordon and search operation progressed
in the area", a source said.
Thursday’s operation was started
by the army three days after five
soldiers, including a JCO, were
killed by terrorists in the same area.
Self-studying is a
learning method
where students
direct their own
studying outside the
classroom and without
direct supervision.
Since students
are able to take control
of what and how
they are learning,
self-study can be a
very valuable way
for many students to
learn. Exploring a
topic on his or her
own encourages the
child to actively
engage with the
information. Self-studiers are able to
think about topics more deeply and
make connections between what they
are learning. And when students are
engaged (and excited) about what they
are learning, they re able to remember
it better. Self-study also helps build
study skills your child can use to
explore new topics. Self-study is all
about searching out new information on
a topic that child is interested in.
Seeking out this information themselves
gives students a chance to learn
more about that topic (rather than just
what they are taught in class).
As students do more self-study,
Harpreet Singh Brar
21
laden with ancient archaeological
remains, some of which were stolen by
Taliban fighters in August this year after
the fall of Kabul. The area is also the
heartland of the Hazaras, the Shia
minority persecuted by the Taliban. In
mid-August Taliban fighters blew up a
statue of Abdul Ali Mazari, a Hazara
leader they executed in 1995.
Now back in power, the Taliban are
promising to be a very different kind of
ruling authority. They have posted
guards outside the National Museum in
Kabul. But there are many other museums
throughout the country, as well as
sites such as the Old City of Herat.
While the words are fine, it is the
Taliban’s actions that will count. So far,
the Taliban has not been following
promises it made in Doha that includes
mainly preserving human rights,
women’s rights and education and inclusive
government.
Many Archaeologists and curators
responsible for preserving Afghanistan’s
national heritage have already left the
country. There is fear that the Taliban
government will not allow contemporary
artists to work. The world already
saw what happened in the last few
weeks: they enacted a music ban and
forced art galleries to close. Several
singers and artists have already left the
country. The Taliban has also destroyed
their galleries and their equipment following
their departure.
(The content is being carried under
an arrangement with
indianarrative.com)
The Benefits & Importance
of SELF-STUDY
many become more
confident learners.
They are able to see
themselves as an
independent person
who is able to learn
new things without
anyone helping
them. This can be a
major motivation
boost for students.
Self-study allows
students to take
learning at their own
pace, focusing on
areas they are most
interested in (or
want to understand a
bit better). This
helps reduce feelings of frustration,
anxiety, or boredom that students may
struggle with in a classroom setting.
Curiosity is one of the biggest (and
often overlooked) pieces of motivating
students to learn. When students aren t
engaged with what they are learning,
they absorb less of the information.
They study to memorize rather than
understand. Self-study allows students
to choose something they are interested
in and excited to learn about, leading to
a more effective learning experience.
MSW, B. Ed, PGDGC, DECE
Certified Counsellor
Main AFS road, Bathinda
22 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
Graves Weeping under the
Snow
(A tribute to the Indigenous children who died in
Canadian residential schools)
O sweet children under the weeping graves!
These are not just your graves
These are the graves of your mother tongue
Graves of the lullabies that you couldn’t listen
Graves of your mothers’ unsung songs
Your tiny feet dancing in your homes
They are buried in the the same soil
The wings and feathers that you used
To dance like birds
They too are buried here.
By taking you far away from your homes
What lessons were they teaching?
You cried when you saw the big
walls devoid of love
Sitting quietly in the classroom
Tears flowing over the faces
Holding heads in your hands
You remember your homes.
The backyards from your naive memory
Were being forgotten daily
In the falling snows
Standing quietly and watching tall trees
You must be remembering your mothers
How could you know where was your home?
And how far away you have come
The home seemed to be hiding behind big trees
Sometimes it seems to be across the clouds
In the shadows of the clouds
The faces of your parents seemed visible
A far away white cloud looked like grandparents.
Who were those teaching you?
Sometimes they seemed like teachers
Sometimes as executioners
Strange words of our so-called civilized people
Pierced yours hearts
Your cries reached your homeland far away
Reaching out to your mothers
Creating nightmares and darkening the sky
When you felt homesick
You may be saying prayers in your mother tongues
Or your lips freeze and eyes become stones.
Your every innocent game we killed!
What you considered a playground
Was actually your graveyard, o children!
We were killing you word by word
The decorated wings on your heads and shoulders
We were plucking out one by one
Who could have tended to the lashes on your body
If not mothers?
Dear children!
To our hazy eyes
You merely looked like objects.
From your silently weeping graves
We have even taken away the stones
There is a grass now and few trees
You have become like grass
You have become like trees
Now the grass and trees
Became the stones of your graves.
From your sleeping graves
The wind blows past
As if you are howling
When it rains
The water pours down
As if you are crying.
On this earth o children!
The graves are everywhere
Some are the graves of mother tongues
Some are of the buried songs
Some are of the cultures crying profusely.
Under our big national flags
Hidden are the graves of children's ribbons
In our great history books
Hidden are the words stolen from your tongues
Genocide is not just of humans
It is also of language
Of culture and civilization
Of decorated feathers on your heads.
Schools may also be concentration camps
Can be like gas chambers
Any of us at any time
May become a Nazi
Our integrity dies very quickly.
O Children! For you and your parents
The roads became impassable
The news channels died
Homes worn-out while waiting for you
Mothers kept crying while waiting to have dinner
with you
Parents have been sitting in your path all their lives
Yet they could not bring you home
Every season they frozen and melted like ice.
O Children! Your innocent graves
Will rise some day
You will wake up slowly
To write down our dark deeds on white snow
The white snow will then melt
And become tears of humanity.
O innocent children sleeping in weeping graves!
Please forgive us
We can’t give you the lullabies
Nor mothers’ love you missed
We can never give you the childhood
Or the folk songs you can sing
Can't give you the feathers we took from your heads
Nor the first words that your mothers taught.
Those who survived our culture wars
Get up and stone the the collapsing buildings
And the lessons taught in these schools
For all these have been the devil’s work
Throw some stones at us too
For we kept on pushing our language
On the young souls
Detached from their mother tongue
We kept loading our heavy religion
On your innocent heads.
The earth of your graves
Ate all the evil words we taught
And all the immoral prayers we made
Now you are completely divine
You are as pure as the mother earth
You are now meeting your homeland
Meeting your parents.
After killing flower-like children
We have now lay flowers on your graves
Some tiny boots and new clothes
You stayed without them for too long
While snow continued to fall
Rain continued to pour
The leaves kept falling from the trees
The seasons kept changing
You have been forced to live in the dark for too long
We have now lit a few candles for you
How can we apologize to you?
O Children! We've now become even worse
We are clearing up forests
Strangling the Mother Earth
We are making a lot of bullets
Building a lot of tanks
Making deadly bombs
To kill more children
And those who aren’t even born yet
The children killed with these weapons
Won’t even find any graves
Earth scorched by the heat of bombs
Will become grave stones for them
And none of us will survive
To tell what else is buried
With these innocent children!
————————
Amarjit Singh Amneet,
Punjab, India
+918872266066
Translated by:
Davinder Singh Garcha,
Virginia, USA
ds_garcha@yahoo.com
'Najeeb Movement
Not A Struggle For
Muslim Victimhood'
New Delhi: (Yadvinder
Deedawar) (Smaaj Weekly)
Students Islamic Organisation of India
(SIO) held 'Justice for Najeeb Conference'
at its headquarters to mark five years of
the enforced disappearance of Najeeb
Ahmed, a Muslim student at Jawaharlal
Nehru University (JNU). Several students
and activists spoke at the event, who criticised
the authorities for their failure in
tracing Najeeb and taking action against
his assailants.
In this conference, Nadeem Khan,
Convenor, United Against Hate, said that
despite so many protests across the country,
Najeeb hasn't found justice. He added,
"I don't think there have been as many
protests in anyone else's case as in
Najeeb's case. It is clear that if you are a
Muslim then you cannot get justice. As
long as discrimination against Muslims
continues in universities, Najeeb's movement
will continue."
Snehashish Das, General Secretary of
Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students
Association (BAPSA) and student of JNU
said, "Najeeb was a simple and sincere
Muslim student. But being a Muslim is
enough to make you disappear in India.
The country has always been a Hindu
Nation and has systematically crushed the
Muslims. In this country, pre-planned violence
is perpetrated against Muslims and
then a narrative is built that these people
themselves are responsible for the violence."
"Many of us are making a systematic
effort to teach Muslim students.
We have to come forward and support
them in every possible way," said
Zeeniya, a research scholar at Jamia
Millia Islamia and a former JNU student.
Sadat Hussain, a research scholar at
JNU, shared his sympathy with Najeeb's
mother. He added, "Najeeb's struggle is
not a struggle of our victimhood but it is to
ensure that such an incident never happens
again. While there is a mechanism in
every university to prevent raging, there
must also be a mechanism for the safety of
Muslim students on campus."
*Students Islamic Organisation of
India (SIO)* Secular students of Asia
Booked for rape, AIIMS
doctor still at large
New Delhi. A doctor working with the All
India Insitute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
here has been booked for allegedly raping
his junior colleague inside the campus, officials
said here on Friday.
The incident occurred on September 26,
when the victim went to the accused person's
room to celebrate the birthday of one
of their colleagues.
She alleged that her senior colleague
raped her inside his room.
On October 11, the victim filed a complaint
against the accused at the Hauz Khas
police station after which the police registered
an FIR under Sections 376 and 377 of
the Indian Penal Code.
During the course of the investigation,
the statement of the victim doctor was
recorded before the Magistrate.
The accused doctor is at large and efforts
are on to nab him.
"Raids have been conducted at some of
the possible places, but the accused is still at
large," the police said, adding that technical
surveillance has also been mounted to nab
him.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
23
Hindutva movement is causing waves
(Asian Independent) : In the manner
conditions are being created
through Hindutva movement, nobody is
safe because the protection given by the
Constitution is being diluted. The
Police Authorities who have responsibility
to safeguard the public are working
against them. They are failing to
fulfil their duties as per Indian
Constitution. They are supporting
actions those are terrorising public.
Recently Manish Gupta a business
man with his two associates went to
Gorakhpur to see the progress as
claimed by the UP Government. To this
claim, the posters are also displayed all
over in Delhi.
On arrival in Gorakhpur, they
booked a room in a hotel for the night.
About 12.30 am, the U.P. Police came
to their room to carryout investigation.
They were completely baffled by their
arrival. The police explained that they
have been instructed to carry out some
checks but did not to find anything.
Manish Gupta did not like in the
manner the Police was behaving
towards them so he said “why are you
treating us as terrorists.” This statement
gave Police opportunity they were
seeking. Even after knowing that he
was from a High caste Hindu family,
they beat him so mercilessly that has
resulted in his death.
Following his death, the Police representatives
are visiting his wife and
asking her to drop the charges. They are
offering her substantial amount of
money and guarantying employment
but she insists for proper investigation
and wants the culprits to be punished.
This shows that the Police forces are
working in conjunction with the
Government even knowing that this
Government is trying to reinstate
Manusmriti that was outlawed because
it spread of segregation through castes.
Mostly policemen/women serving in
the Police are from poor families and as
to their financial conditions are left
with no choice but to carry out the
orders. The Government is taking
advantage of their circumstances and
the Constitution opposes such gains.
In Uttar Pardesh, a minister’s son is
being blamed for intentionally driving
his motor over the protesting Kisaans
and through this incident unfortunately
eight Kisaans have lost their lives. The
Government and Godi media are all
keeping quiet about this.
The Kisaans (farmers) of Punjab
started the movement against the
Government when it introduced three
farm laws during lockdown, without
any consultation or debate in the
Parliament. The protest that started
about a year ago in Punjab has now
spread throughout India and the
Government is still holding back from
arbitrating the matter because it wants
Ambani and Adhani to take control of
all the agriculture land in India.
The farmers are not just fighting for
their own livelihood but also for millions
of other who are dependent on the
farmers for their survival. If Hindu
Rashtra takes over then automation will
Take steps to keep edible OIL
prices in check, Centre to states
New Delhi : The Department
of Food and Public Distribution
has written to all the major oil
producing states to take appropriate
and immediate action to
ensure that the prices of edible
oils are brought down to commensurate
levels, in line with the
import duty reductions.
The Centre has written a letter
in this regard to Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh, all of which are major
oil producing states, a release
from the Department said on
Thursday.
The letter mentioned that the
respective state government has
to ensure that full benefits of
duty reduction made by the
Centre are passed on to the consumers
in order to provide
immediate relief from the prevailing
high prices of edible oils,
especially during the festival
season.
"This would also help in
bringing down the food inflation
and provide relief to ordinary
consumers by reduction in the
Mitej Teji
be introduced and the Higher Castes
will get the opportunities to employment.
The lower end of the society will
be starved to death and to stop this
becoming a reality the 85% have to get
together on one platform. Only then this
Hindu Rashtra movement can be
stopped.
Through Kisaan protests, the
Government’s progress in implementation
of Hindu Rashtra has slowed down
and this in return has made the Indian
citizens much wiser to what awaits in
store for them if Hindutva takes over.
What is happening in Uttar Pardesh
under name of JAI SHREE RAM is
indeed scary and this is going to be a
norm in Hindutva raj. The Dalit, Sc, St,
prices of edible oils by Rs 15-
20 per kg (approx)," the
release said.
In a bid to reign in the continuous
rise in cooking oil
prices since the past one year,
the Centre has slashed the
basic duty on crude palm oil,
crude soyabean oil and crude
sunflower oil from 2.5 per
cent to nil. The Agri-cess on
these oils has been brought
down from 20 per cent to 7.5
per cent for crude palm oil
and 5 per cent for crude soyabean
oil and crude sunflower
oil. The basic duty on RBD
palmolein oil, refined soyabean
and refined sunflower
oil has been slashed to 17.5
per cent from the current 32.5
per cent. The duty reduction
will be effective from October
14, 2021 up to March 31, 2022.
Before Thursday's reduction,
the agricultural infrastructure
cess on all crude edible oils was
20 per cent. Post the reduction,
the effective duty on crude palm
oil will be 8.25 per cent, while
for crude soyabean oil and crude
sunflower oil, it will be 5.5 per
cent each from earlier 22.5 per
cent for crude palm oil, crude
sunflower oil, crude soyabean
oil and 32.5 per cent for RBD
palmolein, refined soyabean oil
and refined sunflower oil.
New Delhi : Pakistan Prime
Minister Imran Khan has said
that the "technical issues" in the
appointment of the Director-
General of the Inter-Services
Intelligence (ISI) would soon be
resolved, Geo News reported.
Khan, according to sources,
made the statement during a
meeting of the PTI
Parliamentary Committee.
During the meeting, the
Pakistan premier took the participants
into confidence over the
prevailing political situation in
the country. Khan said that "no
one has a better relationship with
the military than me", adding
that there was no misunderstanding
between the government and
the military, the report said.
The Prime Minister had convened
an emergency meeting of
Adhivasi and Muslims are falling prey
to mob lynching and rapes. The offenders
are being let loose but the victims
are being locked. There is no justice for
the poor and this barbarism in Uttar
Pardesh is exactness of what was happening
during the era of Manusmriti
and this is again going to happen if
Hindutva takes over.
Following mowing down of the
protesting Kisaans, the Supreme Court
has stepped in because the authorities
even after a filed FIR against the
offender, the Police were showing
leniency towards his arrest because he
was a Minister’s son.
It seems there are different laws for
the general public and the ones in
authority. The Constitutional laws are
same for all but Manusmriti stands in
favour of the higher caste Society and
this is visible in this and many other
arrests. Evidences are present but the
Police has made no effort at all to make
arrests. In Hindu Rashtra, the Higher
Castes will be able to do as they please.
They will be free to do mob lynching,
rapes and murders without any fear of
being arrested. If anybody complained
his or her tongue will be cut. The lower
end of the society will have to endure
brutality of the rich and this is clearly
visible in Uttar Pradesh.
The Mandirs and the Masjids are
being knocked down and no arrests are
being made. It shows of the confidence
the BJP supporters have. They know
that they are safe because they under
the cover of BJP Umbrella. This type of
the ruling party's parliamentary
group at the Parliament House to
discuss important national
issues. Following the meeting,
Federal Minister for Information
and Broadcasting, Fawad
Chaudhry, held a press conference,
where he said that "the
behaviour worldwide is regarded as terrorism.
Bhagwan Valmiki has given Holy
Ramayana to the Hindus and its message
to all is to live and let others live.
The Ramayana is of much more importance
now than it has ever been. Today
greed has taken over mankind and he
will go to any length to satisfy it.
Protests all over India are ongoing
against the Government and pain of
millions is being ignored. Over eight
hundred farmers have lost their lives
and yet their deaths have had no effect
on the Government.
Bhagwan Valmiki’s Pargat Divas
falls on the 20th October 2020 and will
be celebrated worldwide. Bhagwan
Valmiki Ji is a highly graced figure in
India and his Ramayana is honoured as
gateway to eternity.
The Hindus believe as long as
Himalayas and River Ganges will exit
so shall exit Holy Ramayana.
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, an
ardent freedom fighter, Chief Minister
of Madras, Governor of West Bengal,
Home Minister of India and first
Governor General of India has spoken
very high about Valmiki Ramayana. He
has stated that whatever may happen to
India and it’s politics, the Valmiki
Ramayana will always live on tongues
of civilised people.
May Bhagwan Valmiki bless all with
health, wealth and a prosperous New
Year. Diwali starts New Year on Indian
Calendar. For peace in India is prayed.
Thank you.
Issues in ISI chief's appointment
to be resolved soon: Imran
New Delhi : The National Commission for
Protection of Child Rights on Thursday issued
notice to the Delhi government on a complaint
about a promotional video that features minor
school students. The apex child rights panel said
that the video, in which Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal can be seen with large gatherings of
school kids without wearing a mask and avoiding
social distancing, shows clear violations of Covid
protocols and endangers the lives of minor school
decision regarding the appointment
of the ISI DG will be made
in an atmosphere of trust".
Chaudhry quoted the premier
as saying that the "ambiguity
regarding the appointment has
been cleared".
"PM Imran Khan said that
civil-military relations have
never been as good in the entire
history of the country as they are
now," said Chaudhry.
Amid talks of the appointment
of new ISI DG Lt Gen
Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Imran
Khan had on Wednesday
informed the federal cabinet that
he had told Pakistan Army chief
Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa that he
wanted Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to
continue as the ISI DG for some
time due to the critical situation
in neighbouring Afghanistan.
NCPCR notice to Delhi govt for 'using
minors in promotional videos'
children. The Commission said it received the
complaint from the national convener of the
Odisha-based Kalinga Rights Forum, and the
videos violate the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and
Covid-19 pandemic protocols. "Therefore, the
Commission has accordingly taken cognisance in
this matter under Section l3(1)(i) of CPCR Act,
2005," it said, asking the government to look into
the matter for remedial measures and share the
Action Taken Report within seven days.
24 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 NEWS
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
China, Bhutan sign three-step roadmap
for expediting boundary negotiations
New Delhi : Amid the border dispute
with India, China on Thursday
signed a three-step roadmap with
Bhutan for expediting the boundary
negotiations.
India is keeping a close watch on
Bhutan and China's negotiations, as in
the past, the Chinese People's
Liberation Army (PLA) had made
attempts to encroach upon strategic land
mass of Bhutan in the Dhoklam area,
near a trijunction border known as
Donglang.
Currently, India and China are
engaged in a 16-month border dispute
along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
in Eastern Ladakh.
Bhutan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
said in a statement that the Foreign
Minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Tandi
Dorji, and the Assistant Minister of
Foreign Affairs of China, Wu Jianghao,
have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the
Royal Government of Bhutan and the
Government of the People's Republic of
China on the three-step roadmap for
Telangana opposes move
to transport Singareni
coal to other states
Hyderabad : The Vice-Chairman of Telangana State
Planning Board, B. Vinod Kumar, on Saturday demanded
that coal from the Thadicherla mines of Singareni
Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) should not be
transported to other states.
He said the coal from Tadicherla should be strictly
used for power generation at the Bhupalapally thermal
power plant. His statement came in the wake of the
Centre hinting at procuring coal from SCCL to tide over
the coal crisis facing the country.
Kumar stated that some top officials of the Central
government have given oral instructions to SCCL
authorities to supply coal from Thadicherla mines to
other states. He said transporting Thadicherla coal meant
for Bhupalapally thermal power station to other states
citing coal shortage in those states is not justified.
He urged the Centre to drop any plans to transport
Singareni coal from Thadicherla to other states.
Meanwhile, state Finance Minister T. Harish Rao
alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched by the Centre
to take away Telangana's coal. He claimed that the
Centre is pressurising the state to transport coal to other
states. "Telangana has coal reserves for 15 days while as
per the rules, there should be coal reserves at thermal
power stations for 22 days. Yet the Centre is pressurising
us to give coal to other states saying they have reserve
for 2-3 days," Harish Rao said. The minister said that at
a time when many states, including those ruled by the
BJP, are imposing power cuts, Telangana is supplying
power 24x7 to all sectors. "We are not only meeting our
demand, but are also selling 6-10 million units to the
neighbouring states," he said.
expediting the Bhutan-China boundary
negotiations.
"The MoU was signed in a virtual
ceremony on October 14," said Bhutan's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Boundary negotiations between
Bhutan and China began in 1984 and
the two sides have held 24 rounds of
talks and 10 rounds of meeting at the
expert group level.
The negotiations, which have been
conducted in a spirit of understanding
and accommodation, have been guided
Chennai : Even as superstar
Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi
Maiam drew a blank in the rural
local body polls in Tamil Nadu,
the fan club of young superstar,
Thalapathy Vijay won more than
100 seats.
Vijay, who had not given permission
to float a political outfit
and filed a criminal case against
11 persons including his parents,
S. Chandrashekhar and Sobha
Sekhar, in this connection, had,
however, allowed his fans to
contest the polls.
This was the first time that
Vijay, who, going by popularity
ratings is second to Rajinikanth
in Tamil cinema, allowed his fan
club - All India Thalapathy Vijay
Makkal Iyyakam - to contest
by the 1988 joint communique on the
guiding principles for the settlement of
the boundary and the 1998 agreement
on the maintenance of peace, tranquility
and status quo in the Bhutan-China border
areas. "During the 10th expert group
meeting in Kunming in April this year,
the two sides agreed on a three-step
roadmap that will be built on the 1988
guiding principles and help to expedite
the ongoing boundary negotiations,"
Bhutan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
stated. The MoU on the three-step
roadmap will provide fresh impetus to
the boundary talks. It is expected that
the implementation of this roadmap in a
spirit of goodwill, understanding and
accommodation will bring the boundary
negotiations to a successful conclusion
that is acceptable to both sides, it said.
"The MoU will be exchanged
between the two sides through diplomatic
channel," the ministry said.
Earlier on several occasions, Bhutan
had objected to Chinese intrusion into
their land.
Actor Vijay's fan club wins over
100 seats in TN rural polls
from the rural bodies of nine districts
which went to polls.
The actor's fan club won 115
of the 169 seats it contested and
according to its General
Secretary and former Congress
Puducherry MLA Bussy Anand,
won unopposed in 13 seats.
Anand also told the media
that 45 of the 115 winners are
women, and other winners
include farmers, lab technicians,
students, school teachers, and
traders.
The All India Thalapathy
Makkal Iyyakam has more than
10 lakh registered members and
the fans association generally
does not have any political affiliations,
except in the 2011 elections,
when Vijay extended support
to the AIADMK and
Jayalalithaa.
Several political pundits
believe that these results would
lead to Vijay scouting for a larger
role for himself in the future
politics of Tamil Nadu.
"Vijay has done proper
research before jumping into the
fray and he has allowed his fans
to use his name and flag. He
knew that he could win a few
seats given his popularity in
Tamil Nadu. He is likely to take
a plunge in the politics of Tamil
Nadu as there is a clear vacuum
of popular leaders in the state,"
Madurai-based think tank Socio-
Economic Development
Foundation's Director R.
Padmanabhan told IANS.
The Doklam Crisis
In 2017, China was carrying out
infrastructural development work at
Doklam, the tri junction of three countries
-- India, China and Bhutan -- to
which India objected. China had then
claimed that there was boundary dispute
between Bhutan and China and to which
India had no claims.
However, India had refuted the claim
and stood guard there, matching the
deployment of the Chinese troops for 73
days. The standoff was triggered by
China saying that it was constructing a
road within its territory. This was disputed
by India, which said that the road
construction site was on the Bhutanese
territory. In Doklam, India feared that
the Chinese road would give its military
access to heights from where it could
threaten the Siliguri Corridor, India's
tenuous link with its northeastern
region. The crisis was resolved with
diplomatic maturity without losing any
ground. There was no change in the status
quo on the ground and the face-off
ended on August 28, 2017.
Lakhimpur Kheri
violence case: SIT
recreates crime scene
with Ashish Mishra
Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh) :
The Special Investigation Team (SIT),
probing the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, on
Thursday, recreated the crime scene in the
presence of four accused, including Union
Minister's son Ashish Mishra and his
friend Ankit Das, gunman Latif and driver
Shekhar Bharti.
The entire area, where the October 3
incident took place, in which four farmers
were mowed down by an SUV and five
others killed in the ensuing violence, was
cordoned off. The accused were asked
questions about their presence on the spot
even though they knew that farmers were
protesting there.
Thursday is the last day of the police
custody of Ashish Mishra and a huge
police presence was seen at the crime
scene. The SIT arranged for three SUVs
and also dummies to recreate how the
speeding vehicles mowed down farmers
on that fateful day. The SIT cross-checked
the statements of the four people in the
case. During this exercise, the team of
Forensic Science Laboratory, Lucknow
was also present along with the SIT. The
Rapid Action Force (RAF) has also been
deployed along with the Provincial Armed
Constabulary (PAC) on the spot.
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021
25
20 DU colleges to get principals soon
New Delhi : The University of
Delhi’s new Vice Chancellor Prof
Yogesh Singh has issued orders to fill
vacant posts after the matter came to his
notice.
IANS had recently raised the issue of
vacant posts of principals in DU colleges.
The Assistant Registrar (Colleges) of
Delhi University has issued a circular to
the Chairperson and Governing Body of
the colleges for appointments to academic
and non-academic posts, including
principal, in the colleges affiliated to
the University of Delhi.
There are more than 20 colleges in
Delhi University which have no permanent
principals. These are all Delhi government
funded colleges. The term of
the governing body of these colleges
has also ended on September 13.
Colleges of Delhi University that do
not have permanent principals are Sri
Aurobindo College, Sri Aurobindo
College (Evening) Motilal Nehru
College, Motilal Nehru College
(Evening) Satyavati College, Satyavati
College (Evening) Shaheed Bhagat
Singh College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh
College (Evening) Shyama Prasad
Mukherjee College, Vivekananda
College, Bharati College, Indira Gandhi
Sports College, Maharaja Agrasen
College, Rajdhani College, Deendayal
Upadhyay College, Acharya Narendra
Dev College, Bhagini Nivedita College,
Gargi College, Kamala Nehru College,
Shivaji College. Apart from this, the
principal of Bhimrao Ambedkar College
is retiring this month.
In the circular issued on Wednesday
Durga Puja idol immersion
prohibited in Yamuna, other
water bodies: DPCC
evening, the concerned colleges have
been asked to take immediate steps to
issue advertisements approved by the
university. Guidelines have already
been given to colleges regarding advertisements
and filling up of posts.
The circular has also said that the
roster register of academic posts should
be prepared and passed. After completing
the recruitment advertisement
process, the college will formally apply
to the university for an expert panel for
appointments.
The circular said that if an acting or
officiating principal is employed in any
college, then necessary steps should be
taken at the earliest to fill those posts on
a regular basis. Teachers have expressed
concern over the absence of a governing
body in 28 colleges funded by the Delhi
government. Due to the absence of a
Governing Body, the work of colleges is
getting affected and no appointment on
academic and non-academic posts is
being made.
Delhi Teachers Association President
Dr Hansraj Suman has said, "all this is
happening very quickly because the
Ministry of Education had in a circular
dated August 24, 2021 asked to fill the
backlog posts of teachers within a year
in a mission mode."
According to him, "due to non-permanent
appointment on the posts of
principals, the appointment of assistant
professors is also not being done in
these colleges. Similarly, the posts of
principals of more than 20 colleges are
lying vacant due to non-appointments
for a long time. The Ministry of
Education and UGC are writing repeatedly
to fill these posts. Recently, the
new Vice Chancellor Professor Yogesh
Singh has issued instructions to fill up
the posts of Principal, Teachers and
Non-Academics immediately after taking
charge."
New Delhi : To prevent water pollution, immersion of Durga Puja
idols in the national capital’s water bodies, including river Yamuna,
has been prohibited by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee
(DPCC). "Consequent pollution of such water bodies has been a matter
of concern. In addition to silting, toxic chemicals used in making
idols tend to leach out and pose serious problems of water pollution.
Studies carried out to assess deterioration in water quality due to idol
immersion revealed the deterioration of water quality in respect to
conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand and heavy metal concentration,"
an order issued by the DPCC said. "Instead, the idol immersion
ritual may be performed within the home premises in a bucket
and container." The DPCC has also ruled that idols be made only
from natural materials "as described in holy scripts".
"Use of baked clay, Plaster of Paris (POP), in idol making are prohibited.
Only non-toxic and water-soluble dyes have been advised to
colour the idols." Worship material like flowers, decorating material
(made of paper), be removed before the immersion of idols and has
been suggested to be collected for disposal in an environmentally
safe manner or handed over to the door to door waste collection vehicle.
Bhaba Tosh Pal, who has
been a member of the Durga
Puja Committee of Mayur Vihar
region for the past 15 years, sais
that they will immerse the idols
in a tanker with the help of a
crane. "It’s more like dipping
the idol and then taking it out,"
he said. Idol immersion will
take place on Saturday.
26 16-10-2021 to 31-10-2021 WORLD
www.theasianindependent.co.uk
UK suggests 'intensive talks' with EU on Northern Ireland
London : The UK has called for
"intensive talks" with the European
Union (EU) on the Northern Ireland
Protocol after both sides offered their
own proposals to amend it.
In its proposal package published
earlier Wednesday, the EU proposed a
type of "express lane" to facilitate the
movement of goods from Great Britain
to Northern Ireland, including cutting
customs formalities and simplified certification
and an 80 per cent reduction
of the checks for more retail goods for
the Northern Ireland's consumers,
reports Xinhua news agency.
"The EU have now published their
proposals in response to those in our
Command Paper. We are studying the
detail and will of course look at them
seriously and constructively," a British
government spokesperson said in a
statement late Wednesday.
"The next step should be intensive
talks on both our sets of proposals, rapidly
conducted, to determine whether
there is common ground to find a solution,"
the spokesperson said.
The EU proposals came in response
to a new legal text put forward by the
UK's Brexit Minister David Frost on
Tuesday. Frost said the protocol is the
biggest source of mistrust between the
UK and the EU and demands "significant
change". Northern Ireland is at the
centre of the post-Brexit trade dispute
between Britain and the EU. As part of
the Brexit deal, the Protocol stipulates
that Northern Ireland remains in the EU
single market and customs union to
avoid a hard border between
the region and the Republic of
Ireland. However, this leads to
a new "regulatory" border
between Britain and Northern
Ireland. For months, the UK
has complained the rigid operation
of the protocol, part of
the Brexit deal, is unacceptable
because it has severely
disrupted trade, affected consumers
and contributed to
political instability.
UK GDP grew 0.4% in Aug as
Covid curbs continue to ease
London : The UK's gross
domestic product (GDP) is estimated
to have grown by 0.4 per
cent monthly in August as
Covid-19 restrictions continued
to ease across the country, the
Office for National Statistics
(ONS) said. However, the economy
is still 0.8 per cent below
the pre-pandemic level in
February 2020, Xinhua news
agency quoted the ONS as saying
on Wednesday. In August,
the services and production sector
grew by 0.3 per cent and 0.8
per cent month-on-month,
respectively, whereas output in
the construction sector fell by
0.2 per cent, the ONS said.
Notably, output in consumer-facing
services increased by 1.2 per
cent in August, with most of the
growth in the services coming
from "a 5.9 per cent increase in
food and beverage service activities,
and a 47.9 per cent increase
in travel agency, tour operator
and other related reservation
services (growing from historically
low levels)", said the ONS.
"The recovery in hospitality and
culture/recreation activity in the
UK is essentially complete,
according to August GDP -- a
striking reconvergence with consumer
goods trade over summer,"
said James Smith, a developed
markets economist at
financial services firm ING.
Julian Jessop, a British independent
economist, said:
"Economic activity just about on
track to return to its pre-COVID
level this Autumn, which would
be much sooner than most had
expected at the start of the year."
"The 0.4 per cent month-onmonth
rise in GDP in August
confirms that the rapid gains in
output, which in just 16 months
lifted GDP from being 25.1 per
cent below its February 2020
pre-pandemic peak to 0.8 per
cent below, are now behind us,"
said Paul Dales, an economist at
the Capital Economics UK, an
economic research consultancy
based in London. Meanwhile,
Dales said he believes goods and
staff shortages, including energy
crisis, may stall the country's
economic growth and interest
rates hike. "And shortages,
including the petrol/energy crisis,
may prevent GDP from rising
much in the coming months. This
weaker activity outlook may prevent
the Bank of England from
hiking interest rates this year."
Punjab opposes giving
more powers to BSF
Chandigarh : Slamming the
Centre for amending Section 139
of the BSF Act to give the border
and guarding force wider jurisdiction
and terming it tantamount
to an attack on federalism,
Punjab Deputy Chief
Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa
on Wednesday asked Union
Home Minister Amit Shah to
withdraw the decision.
Opposition Shiromani Akali
Dal (SAD) described the decision
as Central rule in the state
through the back door. In a statement,
Randhawa, who also holds
the Home portfolio, said "this
illogical decision was absolutely
against the spirit of the raising
the border guarding forces,
which were required to focus on
the international border and act
as the first line of defence".
He said policing in the hinterland
is not the role of a border
guarding force, rather it would
weaken the capacity of the
Border Security Force (BSF) in
discharging its primary duty of
guarding the international border.
He said that he would personally
call on Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and the Union
Home Minister to resolve this
issue. Meanwhile, the SAD
described the move to hand over
almost half of the state to the
BSF as "the imposition of the
President's rule through the back
door in nearly half of Punjab".
"This virtually turns the state
into a de facto Union territory.
This devious attempt to place the
state directly under the Central
rule must and will be opposed,"
senior Akali leader and former
minister Daljit Singh Cheema
said in a statement. He said this
was at the same time, "a frontal
assault on the federal principle
through highly questionable misuse
of constitutional provisions".
Cheema said it was shocking
the BSF has been given sweeping
powers divesting the state police
of even the normal policing
duties. "As per the Constitution,
only the state government can call
out the Central forces to aid and
assist the state administration. The
Centre cannot thrust these forces
on the state without a formal
request from the state government,"
he said. The Akali leader
also called upon Chief Minister
Charanjit Channi to come clean
on the state government's stand on
the sensitive issue.
DCGI panel clears COVAXIN for
emergency use in kids as young as 2
Previously, the Drug Controller General of India had approved Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D for emergency use in people aged 12 and above
New Delhi : The subject expert committee
of the national drug regulator on
Tuesday cleared Covaxin Covid shot for
emergency use in children aged two to
18 years giving India the first approved
vaccine for use in kids as small as two.
Previously, the Drug Controller
General of India had approved Zydus
Cadila’s ZyCoV-D for emergency use in
people aged 12 and above.
The clearance to Covaxin for children
between two to 18 comes at a time
when schools are reopening with challenges
in respect of protection of children
from disease mounting. Although
there is no clear evidence of children
being more vulnerable to a potential
third wave of the virus, countries have
been expanding vaccination drives to
cover children.
India’s apex national body that lays
down guidance for inoculations – the
National Technical Advisory Group on
Immunisation – is currently working to
give guidance for Covid vaccination in
children.
The NTAGI is already engaged on
which segments among children should
be prioritised for vaccination. The guidance
for ZyCoV-D use among 12 to 18
year olds is also being deliberated upon.
The NTAGI will now take a combined
call on vaccination for children,
with Covaxin also approved today for
emergency use in children. The World
Health Organisation, however, has
given no guidance on Covid vaccine use
among children, with larger evidence
suggesting a natural immunity among
children to viruses. Countries are taking
individual calls on the matter with the
US and UK having taken the lead in
inoculating children against Covid. The
approval of child vaccines by the DCGI
means these can be used provided the
expert vaccination panel that guides
Indian policy on Covid inoculation lays
down the conditions for use. For
instance, when the adult Covid vaccine
drive was launched in January this year,
it was prioritised for elderly and comorbid
populations before being further
expanded. A similar policy could be followed
for children to start with considering
the production would be limited.
It also remains to be seen how Covid
shots for children will be rolled out. The
adult vaccine drive is being managed by
the government, with the Centre procuring
75 per cent produce from manufacturers
for free distribution further to
states. Covaxin is a collaboration
between ICMR and Bharat Biotech.